


Blue Elegance

by AristoMuse



Series: Breaking The Chains [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Persona 5
Genre: Airi is definitely a pauper now, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Byleth chooses Golden Deer, Canon Compliant, Cultural Differences, Culture Shock, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Financial Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Modern Girl in Fodlan, Pining, Prince and the Pauper, Privilege, Struggling To Adapt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-01-22 20:51:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 40,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21308432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AristoMuse/pseuds/AristoMuse
Summary: Taken from her friends and dropped in a world full of war with a bloodthirsty religion, Airi struggles to adapt to its barbaric ways, especially when everyone keeps trying to force her to fight as well.At least some of the students are nice. She might survive this and find a way home.Her heart is a different story.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Airi Kimisawa, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Original Female Character(s), Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Airi Kimisawa, Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Original Female Character(s), My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Series: Breaking The Chains [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/763266
Comments: 206
Kudos: 283





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm too lazy to make a new OC so I will gratuitously shove Airi in every fandom I enjoy, somehow. This was going to be a oneshot but I decided to make it more like a drabble series-
> 
> Edit 2/17: never mind, I guess I can't help myself and now this has turned into a fic with a legit plot with multiple layers darn it

Wiping off her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand, Airi finished up the rest of the dishes in the stiflingly hot kitchen. Plating them delicately like the nobles liked, she picked them up and hurried to place them at the serving station outside in the dining hall.

Already she could see a lineup of students, some of them waiting impatiently for their food, and she bit her lip. All of them were wearing the academy's uniform, or some sort of modified version of it, as seen by most of the noble children. 

The black jackets and short skirts gave her such a nostalgic feeling...

"Hurry up, girl!" The head cook, Edna, scolded her, wielding her spatula like a weapon, and Airi knew intimately that it could definitely be used as a tool for violence.

"I'm sorry," Airi replied meekly, placing down the last dishes onto the table. Brushing off her apron, she pasted on a nice smile and waved for the first in line. "Food is ready! Please stay orderly!"

As the first students calmly walked up and requested their favorite dishes, Airi let her mind wander while her body was on autopilot, handing them whichever dish they asked for.

Being here was...for lack of better words, hell.

When she had suddenly appeared in these strange lands, she thought she had somehow wandered into an unknown part of Mementos. It took a few hours of wandering around with her now useless phone that she realized she wasn't.

Her next thought was that she had somehow teleported to Europe. That held true up until she was attacked by bandits. Then, she realized, not only had she ended up in a different land, but she had also ended up in a different _time_.

One where the people were strangely emotional about everything except violence and killing. In fact, the knights that had saved her had ended up killing every single bandit in sight, leaving none alive, not even the ones that surrendered or pleaded for mercy.

Airi had watched, pale and horrified, as a knight covered in blood held out his hand to help her up. A hand that had just shoved a sword straight through another man's torso without mercy.

She had thrown up right then and there, and didn't go near any of her so-called saviors, even when they tried to soothe her with things like food and shelter. She had stayed as far from them as possible without losing sight of them, and absolutely avoided the carnage they had left behind for the carrion birds to pick on.

What she did find strange in her fear-filled mind was that they spoke English to her, but in a strange way. It sounded nothing like the English she had learned in school, or from Ann.

With no other options, she had followed them all the way here to Garreg Mach, a religious monastery that housed an academy and its own military force. Being confronted by the sight of yet another religious infrastructure had her on edge, and seeing that these knights belonged here-- knights that had decimated a force of men without an ounce of regret-- filled her with trepidation.

She had been introduced as a victim, simply as 'Airi,' and was then hoisted off onto the staff. The lead of staff, a stalwart man with dark green hair by the name of Seteth, while he had sympathy for her situation-- that of being attacked by bandits-- he bluntly asked her how she wanted to work for her room and board.

Airi had chosen cooking.

Now three weeks later, she still struggled to survive in this strange new land called 'Fodlan.'

There was no modern technology present. Hell, she'd argue that there wasn't even old technology, and that they had stopped around the time of the ancient Greeks. 

There was no electricity, which meant everything required candlelight indoors and torches outdoors, and sunlight was her guide for telling time.

No one spoke Japanese, so she had to rely on her own rusty English skills to communicate. Even then, the dialect everyone spoke sounded old, and her modern colloquialism was something she had to correct sometimes. 

Most importantly, there were no friends.

Airi felt a pang of sadness as she handed a risotto off to a student.

She missed Ann and her cheerful, sassy remarks about fashion and sweets. She missed Ryuji and his goofy grins and vulgar mouth. She missed Makoto for her quiet smiles and their studying sessions. She missed Haru's sweetness and their teatimes together. She missed Futaba and her mischievous little pranks and jokes. She missed Yusuke and his passion for art and cheap snacks. She missed Goro and his flips between his princely self and his real surly attitude. She missed Morgana and his toe beans and proud knowledge.

She missed Akira and his quiet assurances and devious smirks. His comforting presence and soft grey eyes. His protective arms and his confidence.

Taking a deep breath, Airi closed her eyes and shook her head to rid her sadness. 

It wasn't like she wouldn't ever see them again. It had only been three weeks here. There_ had_ to be an answer for her arrival here, and consequently, her swift return back to her world and her family. They needed her.

She needed _them_.

"Miss?"

Snapping to attention, Airi looked up with wide eyes and met the concerned gaze of a student.

"Are you all right?" he inquired.

He was a tall young man, towering over her by several inches, with a head of pale blond hair cut in straight fringes, and sky blue eyes that shone with worry. He wore his uniform proudly, but unlike the other students, he had a blue cape which signified him as someone more important.

"I...I am okay, thank you for asking," Airi replied with a forced smile that turned into more of a grimace.

His frown deepened. He clearly didn't believe her. "'Okay'? Are you sure? You seemed preoccupied by your thoughts. Is something the matter?"

She shook her head. "No, no, everything is fine." She bowed her head with her hands clasped politely in front of her. "Please enjoy your meal..." She paused. She didn't know his name. She didn't really know anyone's name except for Sir Seteth's and Head Chef Edna's.

Giving her a smile fit for a prince, he placed a hand near his heart and bowed. "I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Miss..?"

Oh! He really was a prince. Of course he was.

Blushing at his impeccably high class manners, Airi bowed again. "A-Airi, your...highness?" she worded her reply like a question.

Was that how people addressed royalty in English? It was like 'my lord,' 'your highness,' and 'your majesty,' right?

"Oh!" Dimitri waved his hands in front of him. "Please, do not feel obligated to address me as such. I am just another student here at the academy. In any case, Miss Airi, might I get the onion gratin soup?" He gestured for the bowl in front of her, the one that she was supposed to hand off several minutes ago.

"Oh yes, of course! Here, Dimitri-san," Airi stuttered, embarrassed at her slip up, and held out the dish for him to take.

As he accepted his meal, his eyes wandered to her hands and a look of recognition appeared when he saw the callouses. "Miss Airi, you..?" he trailed off.

Airi blinked, taking her hands back. "Me..?" 

Was this some strange English colloquialism she never learned?

"AHEM."

Jumping at the sudden noise, Airi whipped her head around to see head chef Edna glaring at her and tapping her foot. She looked over at the line and winced when she saw it had more than doubled while she had been chatting with Dimitri. Even the other staff members were giving her looks.

"Uh, Dimitri-san," Airi spoke up, gaining the attention of the prince before her. "If you're satisfied with your choice, can you make room for the other students?" 

Dimitri followed her gaze and gaped when he realized he had held up the line. "Oh, my deepest apologies! I will move. Ah..." He hesitated for a moment. "If you do not mind, might I have a moment of your time once lunch is over?"

Taken aback, she stared at him in surprise. 

He wanted to talk to her? Alone? Could she have committed some kind of faux pas against him? There were strange customs here, after all.

"Only if it is not a bother," he reassured her. "I assume your duties here are numerous and laborious, and I would not be offended if you are too tired to meet with me. I do not wish to trouble you, or be the cause for punishment."

She bit her lip.

She hadn't talked to anyone outside of her duties in weeks. Maybe it could be a trap of some kind, but he seemed genuine...

"Sure," she agreed, watching as his face lit up. "I should be done in an hour. Is that okay, Dimitri-san?"

He gave her a strange smile. "'Okay'? 'Sahn'? I look forward to asking you about your accent and your choice of words, Miss Airi. Thank you for the meal." With that, he finally turned to take a seat at a table, near other people who seemed to be his friends.

Airi returned to focusing on her job, but she couldn't help but wonder why he of all people had reached out to her...


	2. Chapter 2

When Dimitri-san had asked for a moment of her time, Airi had thought it would be a few minutes outside, discussing whatever he wanted to ask her. Once he got his answers, he would walk away satisfied and she would go back to her job in the kitchen to ready for the dinner hour.

She hadn't expected...well, _this_.

She looked at the table set up in the garden, at its intricate display of sweets and finger sandwiches, to the expensive porcelain tea set, and then she looked down at her flour and egg stained uniform with an embarrassed grimace. "A-Are you sure this is how you wanted to talk?" she asked awkwardly. "I...I can go change."

Except she only had this uniform, a spare, and the clothes that she wore when she came to this world.

"Hm?" Dimitri looked at her with a questioning look. "Is something wrong with your clothes? I find no offense with them."

"...Are you sure?"

He chuckled. "Yes, I am sure. If you are uncomfortable, you are free to go change," he offered kindly. "I do not mind waiting."

Airi immediately shook her head. "No no no! It's...It's all right, I don't want to take up more of your time." She looked around nervously. "I'm just not...sure if I'm allowed to do this? Isn't this for the upper class?"

He looked confused. "Of course you are allowed. I invited you. Do you not have the time to relax after your shift?"

"As if..." she muttered before clearing her voice. "If this is okay with you, I will enjoy the food. Thank you."

He gestured for her to take a seat, and when she did, he did as well, sitting opposite of her. Picking up the piping hot teapot, he generously poured out two cups for the both of them. "Miss." He picked up his teacup with a smile.

Airi picked hers up with one hand, using the other as support under her wrist, and gently clinked cups with him. "Thank you," she murmured.

Bringing it up near her face, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, sighing in contentment.

Chamomile. What a wonderful scent. It was certainly a welcome change from the overwhelming smells in the kitchen.

Opening her eyes, she paused when she realized Dimitri had been watching her the entire time. "So...What is it that you wanted to talk about?" she asked.

Blinking out of his stupor, Dimitri shook his head and took a sip of his tea as well, sighing pleasantly at the taste. "Would you believe me if I said I thought you deserved a break?" He smiled, placing his cup back down on the saucer. "Though I rarely interact with any of the staff aside from Professor Hanneman, I am aware that the monastery's staff work tirelessly to accommodate us students." He bowed his head. "You have my thanks for making delicious food, day in and day out."

Airi automatically bowed back. "No need to thank me, it's my job," she replied quietly. "I _have_ to work."

Dimitri looked concerned. "Might I ask...how you came to work here at the monastery? Had something happened in your home?"

Biting her lip, she looked to the side, focusing on the few roses that had bloomed on the hedges.

Should she be telling him her origins? She hadn't told anyone the truth about her; no one had bothered to ask before. The knights that had saved her assumed she was some sort of traveler and was attacked. Sir Seteth didn't bother to dig deeper, accepting her as another refugee. The kitchen staff rarely interacted with her except for head chef Edna who never failed to criticize her.

But if he was a prince, he had connections, right? He had to know influential people that studied about quantum physics and metaphysical aspects. 

She looked up at him and observed him. As a prince, he was a very handsome young man, around the same age as her if she guessed correctly. His face wasn't guarded at all; rather, he was very open about being kind and earnest in wanting to understand her. 

If there was anything she learned as a phantom thief, it was that she had to take a chance to make things change.

Airi made up her mind. "My full name is Airi Kimisawa," she introduced herself with a small bow.

Dimitri frowned. "'Kimi...sawa'? I'm sorry, I do not recognize that name," he slowly replied, baffled. "I cannot even tell the origin...Might you be from a distant land?" he probed curiously.

She nodded. "You could say that..._I don't suppose you can understand whatever I'm saying right now_?"

Surprised, Dimitri watched her with wide eyes. "Is that...your native language? Like Dagdan?"

"It's called Japanese, because I am from a country called Japan," Airi explained quietly. Her eyes darted around in case anyone could overhear, but the hedges made sure they had a modicum of privacy. "Around three weeks ago, I found myself here, in Fodlan," she confessed. "I don't know how or why."

He leaned in closer, amazed. "Truly?"

Airi nodded again and looked down at her tea, seeing her own face reflected back. She looked exhausted and depressed. "I didn't know where I was, and suddenly I was attacked by thieves- er, bandits, right? Some knights saved me, but..." The scent of blood remained fresh in her memories, and she covered her mouth. "The way they...The way they killed the bandits was..."

"...I see," Dimitri murmured with darkened eyes. "May I assume you are not familiar with such violence?"

"Y-Yeah..." Taking a deep breath, she tried to clear her mind with another sip of her tea. "It wasn't...nice to see. I...My world doesn't...do violence like that. At least, not so...casually."

He reached out to her with a hand, intent on comforting her, but he paused. He looked at his shaking hand as if it was dirty, and he slowly lowered it back down. "I...apologize that your first impression of my land is of bloodshed. Please believe me, we do not kill indiscriminately," he pleaded. "We are more than just barbarians and killers."

She smiled shyly. "I do believe that. I don't think everyone is evil, or anything like that. I just..." She hesitated. "Don't like it. Killing, I mean. I get it sometimes, if there are no options left, but...there's always a better way, you know?"

Dimitri smiled gently, softening his handsome features. "Yes, I believe so as well. There is no sense in killing indiscriminately." He poured himself another cup of tea. "You had said 'your world'? Are you saying this land of Japan is not on this world?"

"Yes, I think so," she replied. "If it was the same world, there would be something I can find in common, but...you don't have things like this, right?" She took out her phone from her apron pocket. It was an older model, but it was still a modern smartphone.

Eyes widening, Dimitri gently took hold of it and admired it from every possible angle. "Fascinating," he breathed. "I have never seen something so smooth. What material is this?" He tapped the plastic body. "The other side looks like glass, but I have no idea what this could be. Is this a tool? Or- Or an heirloom of some sort?"

Amused, Airi couldn't help but giggle. Dimitri froze and turned his wide-eyed gaze to her, before looking down with red cheeks. "It's a...device? For communication," she clarified. "In this language it's called a smartphone. Back on my world, I would be able to call anyone in the world in seconds."

"That's..." The prince slowly shook his head. "I cannot even comprehend it. At best, we would be able to send messages via wyvern or pegasus riders, but even they would take several days if not weeks to reach the recipient. To think that faster correspondence would be possible is...unthinkable."

"Yeah, that's how I know I'm not on Earth anymore," Airi answered rather dryly. 

"Could I use this here?" Dimitri asked excitedly.

Unfortunately, she had to dash his hopes. "I'm sorry, but there is no technology here that can do that," she replied apologetically. "The phone is like a tool that connects to other connections."

He slumped with disappointment. "I see." He handed the phone back to her carefully, watching as she hid it within her uniform again. "Miss Airi, I...When I asked you for a moment of your time, I did not think that _this_ was what you would tell me, believe me." He gasped and immediately backtracked. "Not that I mean any offense! Rather, I am deeply honored you trust me enough to confide in me."

"Speaking of..." Airi began, picking up a small sandwich. "What _did_ you want to ask?"

Suddenly, his hand enclosed over hers, and she stilled. She slowly looked up at him, tense, but his gaze was focused on her hand. "Miss Airi." His thumb traced her calloused palm. "These callouses do not come from cooking. I would recognize them anywhere." He locked eyes with her. "Do you...happen to have experience in combat?" 

Her throat went dry. "I..." Airi bit her lip and tried to take her hand back, but his grip was firm. Despite him holding her hand hostage, she couldn't help but notice how gentle he was while caressing her skin.

This was too intimate for her..!

"I only ask because if you do, I could help you," Dimitri continued softly. 

She looked up at him questioningly. "'Help me'?"

He nodded. "I noticed your hands earlier when you offered me my lunch. A cook would not have experience in wielding spears as these callouses would imply. Now that I know you are not working here because you want to, but because you _have_ to, I feel even more determined to understand your situation."

Airi was amazed.

How had he deduced that her callouses were from handling spears? Not that she did use spears specifically, but still. It seemed that it was true that this was a military academy. As a prince in a medieval European land, it wasn't much of a shock to learn he was skilled in several weapons.

"So, do you..?" he inquired.

Biting her lip, she slowly nodded. "In a sense."

He lit up. "Fantastic!"

"How would me being able to fight be able to help me, though?" She asked, worried. "I...I don't want to hurt anyone. For any reason."

Not like last time.

A wide smile spread on his face, illuminating his handsome features. "Why, Miss Airi, I can sponsor you to join the academy as a student."

...What?


	3. Chapter 3

"If I vouched for your name to Professor Hanneman and Sir Seteth, you would not have to work in the kitchens so often," Dimitri reasoned with a confident smile. "You would be given a dorm here, learn combat and tactics with us, and be given a better wage."

"Better wage?" Airi asked. "You say that as if they pay anyone here."

Dimitri had stilled. "...What do you mean?" He slowly asked with a look of dread and slowly rising anger. "Do they not pay you?"

Unable to hold in her frustration, Airi let out a loud sigh and placed her head in her hands. "Dimitri-san, no offense meant, but this is a religious organization, right? Or a 'monastery,'" she stressed out the last word with barely veiled contempt. "As a refugee and a servant, I do not get wages. I get a place to stay, and food. Sometimes I get money to do laundry or get food ingredients from the stores outside. The rest is up to the 'will of the goddess,'" she quoted.

Dimitri appeared aghast. "That's...ridiculous!" 

Airi shrugged. "It's typical of a big religious organization. Paying with faith." Her eyes darted around carefully. "Especially one that goes straight for killing as the first option..."

"Have you..." Dimitri was clearly struggling at this point. "Were you...forcibly taken here, Miss Airi?" His words said he wanted the truth, but his eyes implied he didn't want to believe it. "Are you being held hostage because you have nowhere else to go?" he whispered.

"I..."

Biting her lip, Airi looked away and nodded. Before she realized it, tears were already streaming down her face.

"I...I have no one here," she whispered in a choked voice. "I don't know where this is, when this is, how I got here, how I can get back...I don't know if I'm the only one here, either." She tried to wipe away her tears, but they wouldn't stop. "I can't stop thinking if my friends came here, too, and ended up somewhere dangerous and..." She shuddered at the thought. "But, I have to believe it's only me. I don't want to think they're here, too. So, I'm...I'm all alone here."

Everything she had worked so hard for, her school work, her job, the things she accomplished as a phantom thief, her cello, her friends.

All gone.

A heavy but strangely cool hand was placed on her shoulder, and she looked up.

Dimitri had stood up from his chair and had knelt down next to her, wearing a heavy frown as if he was angry, but it conveyed sympathy and determination. "Please, do not cry, Miss Airi," he soothed. "I understand. I...I understand very well how you are currently feeling."

Wiping her tears with a napkin, Airi nodded demurely. "Sorry," she murmured. "I'm sure you didn't want tea time to be so sad."

"On the contrary, I much prefer this to you lying or avoiding the subject," he countered. Standing up, he extended his hand to her with a smile. "I think I can argue your case."

She looked up at him, uncertain. "Are you...sure? I'm...Really, I'm not anybody that's worth the trouble," she argued. "I...I can deal with this by myself. You're a prince, too, so you shouldn't be so favoring to a servant. I could- I don't know- bring down your rep?"

"Besides," she continued glumly. "I told you, I don't want to fight. I may know how, but I don't like hurting anyone."

Dimitri placed a hand on his chest. "Please, trust me," he said resolutely. "I may be a prince, but that does not mean I do not understand the struggle of losing your family and world. To go hungry. I am still a human, and if I am able to help you even a little with your situation, then I will use every power I have to do so."

He suddenly smiled, soft and kind. "I promise."

Airi stared at him for a few moments, before sighing. "...You're too nice, Dimitri-san." She smiled shyly. "If you say you will, then...I trust you. I would rather be in your mercy than the church's."

She took his hand.

* * *

Airi was inexplicably, horribly, and anxiety-cripplingly nervous.

"Relax," Dimitri whispered to her while they stood, back straight. "I promised, did I not? Nothing will happen to you."

She bit her lip. "I know, but still..."

Dimitri had somehow convinced head chef Edna to excuse her from kitchen duty, and brought her up to the second floor of the main building. She had only been up here once and that was when she was introduced to Sir Seteth. However, she wasn't in Sir Seteth's office because he wasn't available right now, and neither was Professor Hanneman, Dimitri's professor. Instead...

She was in the greeting room.

The room that the archbishop Rhea held her meetings. 

The woman who sent her soldiers out to slaughter any opposition, giving no mercy, all while preaching the love of the goddess. 

_Airi was terrified_.

If she said something wrong, this woman could easily put her to death, and Dimitri-san would get in serious trouble. They wouldn't execute him since he's a prince...right?

Suddenly, she wasn't so sure.

Airi winced, taking a step back. "Maybe this is a bad idea..."

Dimitri's hand shot out and enclosed around hers to stop her from leaving. "No, please! Do not worry." He gave her a reassuring smile. "What would you say in your colloquialism? 'I got this'?"

She let out a small laugh that bordered on hysterics. "_This is fucking crazy_..." she muttered, but forced herself to stay in her spot. 

The doors to their left creaked open, showing the archbishop herself. Standing tall, much taller than the average woman, she was like an otherworldly vision stepping out of heaven. Her simple but graceful white dress hugged her body and trailed behind her, along with her white cape. Her lime green hair was an anomaly among the other people, and it held a flowery headdress that framed her kind and motherly face. Her expression was one that conveyed compassion, wisdom, and beauty.

Just seeing her made Airi automatically relax, which made her even more suspicious and terrified of this woman.

Did she send her knights to kill with a benevolent smile on her face?

"Prince Dimitri," Rhea greeted the young man with a small bow of her head. Even her voice was motherly and melodic. "What a surprise. I did not expect you of all people to request a meeting, and so suddenly as well. What might you want to discuss?"

Dimitri placed a hand on his heart and bowed deeply. "Lady Rhea, good evening," he formally greeted her. "I apologize if my request coincided with anything important, but I wanted to discuss this posthaste." Straightening up, he gestured to Airi. "This is Miss Airi, from the kitchen staff. She arrived around a month ago when Seiros knights saved her from a bandit attack."

Taking this as her cue, Airi took a small step forward and shakily bowed. "A-Archbishop..." she murmured with her eyes lowered. 

Rhea bowed as well. "We must give thanks to the goddess for such an opportune meeting. It must be by her will that our knights were able to save you from an unfortunate fate," she said with a smile. "I trust your stay here has been amenable?"

"Y-Yes..." Airi answered meekly. She dared to look up and froze.

Her jade-green eyes...were old. Too old. 

Despite her benevolent demeanor, her eyes showed she knew more than possible for a human. Perhaps it was her sensitivity to Mementos and the metaphysical plane, but...this woman did not come across as human. She was something...more.

Dangerous, for sure.

"Does this meeting concern Miss Airi here?" Rhea asked.

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. I wish to petition for her enrollment as a student in my house, Lady Rhea."

"Oh?" Rhea hummed, intrigued. "Why?"

"She has experience in combat, which would be, for a lack of better words, wasted in the kitchen," Dimitri explained. "I wish for her to join my house so that she can reach her full potential, and her help would be indispensable on future missions."

Airi stayed silent, but internally, she worried. It sounded like Dimitri-san_ did_ want her to fight. Maybe if she could reach her magic, she could stay as support...

"You provide a convincing argument," Rhea remarked. "But, it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you there are costs in attending the academy. We cannot spare any pittance when noble houses have generously provided their support for their children." She almost sounded regretful. "I am sorry."

Airi smiled understandingly, but knew the underlying message: We're not going to give a spot to a peasant when rich families were paying for their kids to learn here.

"I only ask that she be allowed the same opportunities as a student," Dimitri countered with a frown. He was becoming frustrated. "At the very least, you can reduce her hours in the kitchen so she can attend class. Is there not have another servant here that attend classes with Golden Deer?"

Rhea smiled. "Ah yes, dear Cyril. He is a precocious young man, and when he petitioned to attend class, I could not find it in myself to deny him the chance. He still takes his duties seriously as well." She hummed. "I suppose Miss Airi here can be initiated through a trial period, so long as she continues her work to pay her due. Unfortunately, I am unable to offer much else at this time."

Dimitri perked up and bowed. "Thank you, Lady Rhea! Even that is more than enough."

Airi followed his actions. "Thank you for your kindness, Lady Rhea," she murmured.

Rhea chuckled. "Please, do not thank me. Prince Dimitri deserves the credit..." She eyed the young girl with interest. "I hope you live up to his expectations, and consequently mine."

Airi lowered her eyes and didn't say anything. The message was clear: Fuck up and you're out.

Bowing again, the two teenagers finally left the greeting room. Once the doors closed behind them, Airi felt her legs give out on her and she leaned against a wall. "_Holy shit_..." she gasped, holding a hand to her fast heart. "_That was too close. Shit shit shit...What is she?_"

"Miss Airi!" Dimitri rushed to her side and placed a comforting hand on her back. "Are you unwell?" he asked, deeply concerned. "Do you need medical assistance? The clinic is just down the hall..."

"I...I'm okay..." she breathed out shakily. "Just...a minute..." She gripped his arm tightly. "Can we...leave here? Please?"

He slowly nodded. "Of course..."

Wrapping her arm around his shoulders, he hefted her up with one hand on her waist, and supported her down the stairs and out the courtyard. The whole time, Airi was painfully aware of how large and firm his hand was, burning an icy print on her waist, and she was sure her face was as red as the tomatoes she bought from the market today.

Again, he was being too intimate with her, but maybe he didn't realize. Maybe there was a different standard of intimacy here in Fodlan.

Once they were outside, Airi took in a big lungful of cool evening air. Being on a high mountain, the monastery was always cold, and it also helped to cool her flaming cheeks.

Calming down from her panic, she slowly turned to Dimitri who had been watching her with a worried look, and tried to smile. "Thank you, Dimitri-san. You have been too kind."

He shook his head. "No. I have only done what everyone else _should_ have done," he insisted. "You should never have been forced to work to earn your keep here. This..." He looked troubled. "This isn't what the teachings of the Goddess preach. She taught humans to _help_ each other, to thrive on kindness and benevolence. Not..."

With a frustrated noise, he punched a nearby stone wall.

Airi gasped and instinctively moved back when he nearly put a hole through it. "Whoa..." she uttered, surprised.

Noticing her reaction, Dimitri hurriedly put his hand down at his side and looked away, flustered. "I-I apologize. Sometimes I am unaware of my own strength..."

Airi raised her brows. Just how strong was he?

Shaking his head, he straightened up and smiled. "At least we accomplish what we set out to do. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Blue Lions House." He bowed.

She bowed as well. "Thank you for having me. Really, thank you. You've...You've done a lot for me already." She bit her lip. "I don't know how to repay you..."

"Do not think you owe me anything," he said firmly. "Knowing I have helped you is enough. There have been too many that I have been unable to help." Before Airi could ask him, he gestured toward the courtyard. "Over there is where our classroom is, sitting between Golden Deer and Black Eagles. I will explain our class schedule in detail another time, if you do not mind. It is rather late and I imagine you must be up early tomorrow-"

"Oh, hey! If it ain't Dimitri with a cute lady! Now isn't that a surprise."

A tan young man with messy black hair walked up to them with an easygoing grin and sharp eyes, dressed in the student uniform. Like Dimitri, he also had a cape, though his was more of a yellow color. At his side was another young man in a foreboding dark armor, covered from neck to toe, with dark green hair and dark green eyes.

Dimitri greeted the two newcomers with a somewhat stiff, "Claude. Professor Byleth."

Airi tilted her head. The one named Claude looked familiar- she might've served him food a few times- but the man next to him was new, and felt...off. Almost like Rhea, but the opposite. Instead of too much, this man was...too little.

Claude gave Dimitri a causal salute, but focused on her, and Airi felt like a deer in highlights. "Hooo?" Claude stepped closer with an inspecting eye and an almost predatory smirk. "Now who might you be, miss? Is there a reason a fine lady like you would be talking to our humble prince?"

Airi bowed. "Uh, hello. I'm Airi. Nice to meet you...Claude?"

Observing her for another moment, he pasted on a closed-eye smile and bowed with a flourish. "I am Claude von Riegen, next in line to be leader of the Leicester Alliance. An honor to meet you."

She stared at him with wide eyes.

First a prince, and now another heir?

Her eyes landed on the last man. "Are_ you_ also some kind of royalty?" She asked weakly.

Byleth stared at her and silently shook his head. 

Claude let out a laugh. "Ha! I guess it isn't every day you meet important people," he teased with an casual wink. "Don't worry, please treat us like how you would anyone else."

"If that's okay..." Airi replied hesitantly, giving him a small smile. "Claude-san, then."

Claude lifted a brow. "'Sahn'? What does that mean?"

"Oh!" Her hands covered her mouth. "S-Sorry, it's like saying 'sir' from...my home."

A calculative look appeared in his eyes. "I see. That's quite interesting, Miss Airi." He smiled mysteriously. "It's late, but I hope we can chat again soon. I would like to learn more about your home." With another bow, he walked past them along with the professor.

Airi watched them go with a frown.

"I confess that I must retire for the night as well, Miss Airi," Dimitri spoke up quietly. "It is a late hour, as Claude said." He nodded in her direction. "I hope to see you tomorrow. Would you mind if I escorted you to your room?"

She acquiesced, and the two of them walked toward the staff quarters. As they got nearer to her quarters, it became more homely, with hanging laundry lines and grass growing through the cobblestones. This place wasn't as well kept as the rest of the monastery since it wasn't open to the public, and no one had any reason to come here unless they were a servant.

Entering the servant's quarters, they walked further in and stopped in front of a door. Airi took initiative and opened it, showing that it was actually a bunk room. She shared it with four other female staff members. It wasn't messy, but it was very basic.

"Well, this is me," Airi murmured awkwardly. "It's...um, not much."

Dimitri stared into the room. "...I can see that," he answered stiltedly a moment later. "This..." Placing a hand on his forehead, he sighed. "This...is not what I envisioned, if I am honest. It seems nothing today has gone the way I thought it would."

She looked down. "I'm sorry, it's my fault. I'm taking advantage of your kindness."

He sighed again, but placed a hand on her shoulder. "It seems I must endeavor to tell you otherwise," he said with a tired smile. "Trust me. Nothing is your fault. In fact, I should be thanking you for opening my eyes. It seems there is much I must think about tonight." 

Taking a step back, he bowed. "Good night, Miss Airi. I hope you have sweet dreams."

"You too..." Airi replied shyly.

When he left, Airi went to the wash bucket to clean herself off, before dressing in her old clothes. She had nothing else for pajamas, so she laid down on her thin cot and stared up at the ceiling.

Even though she had met extremely powerful and dangerous people today, she couldn't help but think there might be some hope for her now. 

Knowing that Lady Rhea was something more than human, that Claude-san was observant and secretive, and Byleth-sensei a silent specter...

At least she knew she could trust Dimitri.


	4. Chapter 4

Adjusting her new uniform, Airi looked at her reflection in the washroom mirror.

While it was definitely more militaristic in style, it was still very much academia inspired. The uniform was completely black, made out of wool and cotton, with gold thread trim and designs. The cut was practical but stylish, though she wondered how a short skirt constituted as good armor.

Her legs felt too bare, so she scrounged up the black tights she wore when she came to this world, as well as her boots.

"_What am I doing?_" She murmured to herself.

Why was she joining a military organization when she absolutely abhorred killing? There were other ways, weren't there. She could've just worked in the kitchens for the majority of her time here, and then use the little free time she did have to peruse the library. Make an appointment with Professor Hanneman about his knowledge on magicks. Do _anything_ to stay out of fighting.

Yet, here she was, in the class of Blue Lions.

All because a prince wouldn't give up on helping her.

She softly snorted. 

If Ann was here, she'd call her a hypocrite.

If the situation was reversed, _she_ would be doing everything in her power to help Dimitri-san.

Shaking her head, Airi gathered the few supplies she had been granted as a student, placed it in her bag, and left her shared room. She walked through the dim hallway of the servants quarters to the main part of the monastery where the classes would be held. 

While walking, Airi noticed several people had given her second glances, especially at her uniform, and she resisted the urge to cower away. She wondered if they were mentally asking themselves who she was, what house she was from, how much money did she throw to get in. Maybe some of them recognized her as a servant as well.

Arriving at the courtyard, Airi looked around curiously, noticing several other people her age in the academy uniform, lounging around or practicing their weapon of choice. How interesting that this world didn't really have a limit on color for hair and eyes, as several of them sported pink, purple, green, orange, silver, blue, red, and all the colors in between.

Truly, it made her own pink hair and dark red eyes feel more normal.

Deciding not to interact for now, lest she accidentally offend someone, Airi made her way to the classroom in the middle, marked with a Blue Lions banner.

The classroom reminded her of Harry Potter the one time Ryuji made them marathon the movies together.

The room was large with a high ceiling, with four large circular pillars leading from the door to the professor's desk. There was a fireplace already lit, helping to warm the cavernous room. Two rows of tables hugged each pillar, looking more like school lunch tables than the singular desks she was used to back in Tokyo. Each of them contained a candle, several textbooks, and an ink and quill. At the very front of the room was a large intricate window, and right below it was the professor's desk as well as a green chalkboard.

There were a few students in here already, getting ready at their desks.

Airi gripped her bag and waited around awkwardly. Maybe Dimitri-san would show up soon and save her the embarrassment. 

One of the girls noticed her near the door and approached her with a gentle smile. She wore the uniform, but her skirt was much longer than average, and she had on a beige shawl with the uniform's design, nestled comfortably in her arms while a thicket of blonde hair tumbled over her left shoulder. "Hello," she greeted her. "I believe we have never met. Are you from Golden Deer? Or perhaps Black Eagles?"

Airi gave her an answering smile and bowed. "Hello, I'm new here. I'm Kimi- um, Airi Kimisawa. It's a pleasure to meet you..?"

She curtseyed. "My name is Mercedes von Martritz. A pleasure to have you with us, Airi."

The smaller but peppier girl bounced up to them as well with a big smile, which complimented her orange pigtails. "And I'm Annette Fantine Dominic! It's nice to meet you as well, Airi!"

Airi resisted the urge to grimace. All these European names were going to be hard to pronounce. "Thank you."

Mercedes hummed with a thoughtful expression. "Are you a mage? I don't see a weapon on you..."

"I..." Airi began to say, when another voice interrupted them.

"Miss Airi!"

She turned around to see Dimitri rush into the classroom, looking harried but still wearing a relieved smile. "You made it!" He breathed out. "I am glad!"

Airi smiled and bowed. "Dimitri-san, good morning. Why the hurry?"

Stopping in front of her, the prince wiped at his brow. "I, ah...wanted to arrive before you so I could properly introduce you to the others." He smiled sheepishly. "But I see you have had no trouble with that already."

"Oh!" Mercedes placed a delicate hand in front of her mouth. "Is Airi_ our_ new classmate?"

Dimitri nodded. "Yes. She is our most recent addition." He placed a hand on Airi's back. Airi felt her cheeks heat up at the touch. "I feel confident in saying that Miss Airi here will be a great addition to our class."

Airi grimaced. "I think that's a little too early to say..."

"Well, either way, welcome to the Blue Lions!" Annette exclaimed happily. "I'm sure you'll have a good time here! If you need any help, you can ask any one of us! Oh, but..." She glanced toward the left. "Erm, maybe not Felix, but I'm sure he won't be too rude."

Felix? Airi turned to follow her gaze, only to meet sharp steely eyes. They belonged to a young man with a stony frown. He didn't wear the traditional uniform; rather, he wore a vest over a white button-up shirt. His indigo hair was tied up in a small ponytail, but a few locks escaped to hang around his face. What was even more eye-catching was the sword he had strapped to his left hip, and the grip he had on the handle.

Wary, Airi stepped back, and found herself bumping into Dimitri. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see him smile sympathetically. "Don't mind him," he murmured. "He is not the most approachable sort these days, but I swear that he will never hurt you."

"I'm not so sure about that..." she whispered. The way that Felix was glaring at her supported her words. He looked like he was going to kill her at any moment.

Dimitri's smile became strained. "If he tries anything, he will have_ me_ as his opponent," he promised.

"Wow, this is some tension I walked in on," a new voice stated.

Another young man walked into the room, one with flaming red hair styled in a short but attractive haircut. He had an easygoing smile on his face, which contrasted with his disinterested gaze. Like Dimitri and Felix, he towered over her and was obviously built for battle.

"Oh?" He suddenly grinned and came up to her to bow. "Hello there, my lady."

"Oh no, here he goes again..." Annette muttered to the side.

"Your hair makes you look like a beautiful pink rose," he complimented with a suave smile. "How about we take a stroll in the garden together so I can admire you in your natural environment?"

Dimitri looked physically pained at the pickup line. "Sylvain..."

Airi stared at him. Then promptly held a hand over her mouth as she burst out in laughter. "Hahaha! Haha Hahaha!" 

Sylvain blinked, taken aback by her response. "Uh..."

She had never heard anyone say something so cheesy in her _life_. The closest she had ever gotten was one of Ann's terrible soap operas. She didn't think anyone in real life would ever talk like that, but then again, this was like medieval Europe, so of course there should be some strange Shakespearean romance lines.

Her new classmates all stared at her while she tried her best to stifle her giggles. Dimitri especially watched her as if he was fascinated.

"That- Pfft- That was so funny..." Airi managed to say, coughing a bit to get her breath back. "Phew..." Her cheeks hurt from how hard she was grinning. "Do you say that to all the girls you meet?"

"Well- Uh..." Sylvain scrambled for an answer, before pasting on a charming smile. "Every maiden deserves to hear something nice about them, just like how every flower should be admired for their color and bloom."

Airi was beyond amused. "Do you actually get laid with lines like that?"

"'Laid'?" Annette repeated, confused. "What does that mean?"

"Yes." Dimitri was beginning to look upset. "I too would like to know the meaning."

Oh, right. Laid wasn't a term here, was it. Especially in a time before the internet and readily accessible porn.

Airi delicately coughed. "Um, never mind. It's not important. Anyway..." She faced Sylvain again, who looked like he was floundering, and smiled. "Hi, I'm not sure you care to know my name since you go straight for flirting, but I'm Airi Kimisawa. Nice to meet you, Syru-vain..?"

"Oh, right!" Shocked out of his stupor, Sylvain held her hand and bent over to kiss it. "Sylvain Jose Gautier, my lady Airi. The pleasure is all mine," he purred against her skin.

Airi snorted. "I bet."

"Sylvain, enough." At this point, Dimitri had gone from uncomfortable to downright disapproving. "You should not be so forward with Miss Airi, especially when your affections are insincere."

"That's right, Sylvain. Listen to His Highness." A new girl appeared, one with a thunderous frown on her face. Her long blonde hair was braided down her back, leaving her straight fringes to frame her face. She was a little taller than average as well, and her uniform was more practical; wearing a longer skirt as well as black tights.

"Ingrid," Mercedes greeted her amiably. "Good morning."

Ingrid smiled. "Good morning, Mercedes. Everyone." Her smile turned back into a frown. "_Sylvain_."

Sylvain held up his hands in a surrender. "Whoa, hey, I didn't do anything."

Rolling her eyes, Ingrid turned to Airi and bowed. "Greetings. I am Ingrid Brandl Galatea. Welcome to the Blue Lions."

Surprised and almost humbled, Airi was quick to bow as well. "It's nice to meet you, In-guri-do-san. I'm Airi Kimisawa."

When two others entered the classroom, Dimitri waved them over. Standing next to Airi, he gestured to her. "Most of you have been introduced, but this is Airi Kimisawa, our new classmate."

Airi bowed. "Hello, it's nice to meet all of you."

"Hello!" The young man with silver hair and a smattering of freckles over his guileless face. "I'm Ashe Ubert. It's exciting to have a new classmate!"

The intimidatingly tall and large young man nodded. Unlike their other fair-skinned classmates, he sported a deeper skin tone, which complimented his silver braids. "If His Highness speaks so highly of you, then I will do my best to welcome you as well. I am Dedue Molinaro, His Highness's retainer."

"My _friend_," Dimitri added with an emphasis. Turning to the only person who had yet to speak, he frowned. "Felix, please. Do not be rude."

"Don't order me around, you boar," Felix spat with his arms crossed. Facing Airi, who had bit her lip in worry, he narrowed his eyes. "Felix Hugo Fraldarius," he introduced himself with a clipped voice. "What weapon do you use?"

Airi blinked, taken aback. "Uh-"

"Are you decent in combat?"

"Well-"

"Do you hold a crest?"

At that, Airi furrowed her brow, confused. "'Crest'?"

The room fell silent.

Noticing their shocked stares, Airi glanced over at Dimitri, who suddenly looked rather uncomfortable, and whispered, "is that important?"

He grimaced. "Very much so. I...I will explain later, if Professor Hanneman will not." He placed a comforting hand on her back. "I know you are not aware of information that would be common knowledge here in these lands. Please, do not fret."

Airi nodded demurely.

"What are you two whispering about?" Annette asked curiously. 

Dimitri laughed nervously and waved her away. "Nothing important. Let us take our seats, yes? Professor Hanneman should arrive soon." Without waiting for a reply, he ushered Airi to take a seat at the front-most desk to the left, and sat next to her.

The other students took their seats as well and watched curiously as the prince murmured to their new classmate about everything; how attentive he was when he noticed her confusion, and how he went out of his way to make sure she understood the material. Airi looked somewhat overwhelmed, and every time she frowned, Dimitri would place a hand on her back.

Felix frowned deeper.

* * *

When class finally ended, Airi let out a tremendous sigh and laid her head against the desk. Her brain hurt.

She had been lucky today. The class had been mostly theoretical, with most of it being a lecture. Professor Hanneman had went over the topic of crests rather thoroughly since it was his passion for study. Maybe a little too thoroughly, because he started talking about how blood, health, and upbringing could all affect how a crest would be passed down.

To Airi, it all sounded like a eugenics war, where the noble families vied for the best breeding to keep their power. Typical bourgeoisie things, really. It all sounded rather silly, but it was how this world worked, so she shouldn't be too critical over it. At least it was better than marrying for better physical features like how people were on Earth.

Instead of worrying over whether their baby would be beautiful, the people here worried whether or not their baby would be powerful.

She also found out she was going to struggle with the written language.

It luckily used the same English alphabet, but it had a lot of added nuance and strange grammar rules while also using older English, making it difficult to understand. Dimitri had been fascinated by the hiragana and kanji she had written in her notes.

Speaking of Dimitri, he had gotten up from their shared desk and held out a hand to her. "You must be overwhelmed, Miss Airi. Some fresh air would help," he suggested. "Shall we take a stroll outside?"

Smiling, Airi took his hand and used his help to stand up. "I'd love to, but..." She glanced to the side where some of their classmates had wilted at his suggestion. "I have to start the dinner hour soon, and I think your friends want some of your time."

Confused, Dimitri followed her gaze and smiled sheepishly when some of them waved hopefully at him. "Ah, right. My apologies." He turned back to her. "Is there anything I can do to help? Did the classwork make sense?"

Airi let out an amused sigh. Was this how it felt for her phantom thieves when she would keep offering to help them? It did get a little overbearing. "Dimitri-san, thank you for doing so much for me, but I'm a big girl." She smiled when he looked down with an embarrassed blush. "I shouldn't have to rely on you so much, ne?"

"Still...." he murmured. "I do not want to you feel left out, or frustrated. I am merely concerned for you."

"And I'm very grateful, Denka." Airi held a hand over her heart and bowed. "But you have other things to do, yes? Don't focus too much on me. I..." Now it was her turn to look down. "I don't want to be a burden."

His hand came up to lift her chin so that their eyes met. "Please, no more bowing. Not to _me_," he stressed with a frown. "Do not ever think you are a burden to me. It was my own choice to invite you to our class, and it is my choice to continue to help you. Do not deny my autonomy." He softened. "However, I understand. I should not try to control your time here. Please, feel free to come to me if you have any problems. I will _always_ make time for you."

Wide-eyed, Airi held her blushing face. "_You can definitely make a girl swoon. A real life Prince Charming..._" she muttered to herself.

Who had ever said such sweet things to her? Maybe Akira, but he said sweet things to every one of his friends, so it didn't really count. If she wasn't careful, she might end up developing feelings for the man in front of her.

It would only end in heartbreak, just like last time.

"Hm?"

She shook her head. "Ah, nothing." She smiled warmly. "Thank you, Dimitri-san. Really. You've been very good to me."

Dimitri all but beamed. Coupled with his pale blond hair and blue eyes, and she might just mistaken him for the sunny sky itself. "And you I. Ah, but I shouldn't hinder you any longer. I shall see you later during dinner?" He asked hopefully.

She nodded, and they both walked out of the classroom, going their separate ways. Her other new classmates waved farewell, and she did the same.

Letting out a slow breath, Airi turned around and headed for the kitchen. She hadn't known what to expect, but they were all very nice, with impeccable manners, and the classwork wasn't too...horrible. If the only fighting that happens would be in spars, she would be perfectly content to treat it like a kendo or judo club. Yet, knowing what this church would do in the name of 'justice,' and Dimitri's reticent behavior when she mentioned killing, she couldn't help but be wary.

The only one who wasn't that nice was-

"Hey, you."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Turning to her right, she saw Felix leaning against a wall in a secluded alcove, as if he had been waiting for her. "Yes, Felix-san?" She addressed him cordially.

He frowned and stalked up to her. "Why is the boar so interested in you?"

Alarmed, she took a step back. "Boar?" There was an animal here?

"Dimitri," he clarified. "Why is he so concerned with you?"

She clenched her jaw. How rude to refer to another person as an animal. No offense to Morgana. "I'm not sure myself, really. He said he wants to help me, so I want to believe him."

Felix scowled. Glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, he grasped her wrist and pulled her into the alcove.

Airi gasped at the strong grip and had no choice but to stand close to him. What was he doing?! Was this going to be a secret tryst? Or was he going to kill her? He certainly looked like he wanted to.

"Listen carefully," he whispered close to her ear. "I don't know why he's acting like this, but if you know what's good for you, you should stay as far away from him as possible. Understood?"

She frowned. "Why?" There was nothing wrong with Dimitri-san. In fact, he had exceeded whatever expectations she had, and was a gentleman in every way.

"Because he's nothing more than an animal with a lust for blood," Felix hissed. His hand tightened its grip on her wrist and she winced. "You might be fooled by his princely demeanor, but underneath it, he is a wild boar, a _monster_."

Airi stared up at him, horrified by his words, but paused when she saw how vehement he was. His eyes were serious and solemn, but there was a small glint of fear. "...Why do you say that?" She asked in a whisper.

He huffed and turned away, letting go of her wrist. "...You haven't seen him on the battlefield yet. The way he takes pleasure in spearing his opponents, drenching himself in their blood," he muttered, eyes distant in memory...or nightmare. "During the rebellion, he was the demon that people feared."

Airi stayed silent.

Dimitri-san had killed...more than once? A whole rebellion, if she could believe Felix-san's words. Taking pleasure in killing was absolutely abhorrent to think about, but to witness it would be...No, she couldn't even think or imagine it. She wanted so badly to defend Dimitri-san, but Felix-san had known him longer, so she couldn't say with certainty. Plus, she had only known the prince for the better part of a week. Maybe he really was a bloodthirsty killer. Maybe he was just lying to her with every honeyed word.

Even so...

"Don't you fight as well, Felix-san?" Airi proposed a question.

Felix frowned. "Of course I do, but it's not the same."

"Isn't it?" She glanced down at the sword strapped to his hip. "No one else had a weapon on them, except you. The very first thing you asked me was if I am able to fight."

He raised a brow. "Your point being?"

She took a step back and looked him in the eye. "You're so eager to fight. Why is that?"

"Because I am," Felix answered bluntly. "There is nothing I love more than fighting, where my blood rushes in my veins, and I can test my skills against worthy opponents. If I had my way, I would be a wandering mercenary instead of being stuck as the heir to a dukedom."

Airi frowned. "If there is anything I know about fighting here, it's that it leads to death, especially out there in a battlefield. You love fighting, which means you also love killing. Can you really say you're any different from Dimitri-san?"

He looked like he had been struck. "How dare you-! I am nothing like the boar!" He argued fiercely, clenching his hands. "He wants nothing more than to tear your throat out with his bare teeth. I am an experienced swordsman looking to hone my skills." He scowled. "We are_ nothing_ alike."

"You just admitted that you love fighting," she pointed out. "Fighting means hurting another person, taking blood, and even life. Even though your true goal is to find specific people to fight against, you still want to fight whoever comes your way, right? Look, you're already gripping your sword."

Felix looked down and found that she was right; his left hand was wrapped the handle of his sword in a tight grip.

"How can you say Dimitri-san is a bloodthirsty animal when you're also looking for a reason to kill?" Airi asserted her point. "It's not like Dimitri-san is going on a random killing spree. He hasn't hurt anyone here, and he hasn't hurt me. I..." She bit her lip and looked down. "I don't like killing. I don't even like fighting, not if it means hurting anyone. I don't understand why you guys like it so much, but if it's Dimitri-san or a bandit wanting to rob someone, I would...I would..."

She clenched her eyes and forcefully swallowed the sour bile that had crept up her throat. "I...would rather Dimitri-san kill."

He had promised to help her, no matter what, without asking anything in return. The least she could do was rise to his defense when he wasn't even here to defend himself.

"...Naive."

Opening her eyes, she looked up at Felix, confused.

Felix sneered and avoided her gaze. "You're naive to think he would be able to differentiate friend from foe," he muttered. "I'm warning you: Stay away from him if you value your life. I wouldn't kill a defenseless woman, but I can't say the same for him."

Hesitantly, Airi placed a hand on his sleeve, gaining his attention. "...Why do you care so much about what he does?"

"...Because he used to be my friend," Felix answered quietly. "And I'm not going to stand around to see someone else hurt from his actions." With that, he walked away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up drawing Airi in FE3H's style and in the uniform!! I hope it looks good lmao I've been on such a FE3H binge lately
> 
> [](https://imgur.com/mEkTaug)  


* * *

Dressed in her most flexible clothes-- which was a loose blouse and leggings she wore when she was transported here-- Airi looked around carefully before making her way toward the training grounds.

She really didn't know much beyond the theory she had learned over the past couple of days, and while everyone was encouraged to practice outside of class hours, she couldn't. Between trying to get her homework done with an antiquated ink and quill, and working in the kitchen, she barely had any free time, let alone any to truly practice.

And...she didn't really _want_ to.

Practicing how to fight meant that one day, she really would fight, and she knew that fighting in this world meant to the death. If she didn't want to kill, then her enemy would kill her.

Maybe it was naive of her to think that so long as she stayed here inside the Monastery, she would be safe, even though she was surrounded by murderers and potential killers.

Biting her lip, she inhaled sharply through her nose to try to calm herself down.

"_Calm down,_" she whispered to herself. "_It won't come to that. It won't. You don't have to kill. You won't be like him. You will _never _be like him._"

Straightening her back, she walked into the training grounds. 

Since she had joined the Blue Lions, everyone had been very friendly, with the exception of Dedue-san and Felix-san.

However, Dedue-san wasn't hostile; it was more that he was quiet and rather aloof. He spoke when spoken to, but rarely initiated conversation. He was never mean, though. He was actually quite kind, and didn't seem to ever lose his temper.

Felix-san was a different story.

Since her first day of class, he continued to glare at her, specifically when Dimitri-san was nearby. Which was always. It was like he was simultaneously trying to tell her she was an idiot but she was also in danger. Really, trying to understand his logic made her head hurt.

Then, there was Dimitri-san.

As always, he was a very sweet young man, and continued to guide her through the academy's education. He even tried to explain magic to her, even though it was clearly one of his worst subjects.

Most of all, he continued to ask her about her world.

He was fascinated with everything she had told him, like when she complained about the lack of plumbing here at the Monastery. He had been confused, but when she explained the concept of a shower-- pumping water through pipes so it'll pour out like a waterfall-- he had been so invigorated that he jotted it down in his journal, saying it would be one of the first things he would try to implement once he went back to the royal kingdom.

Maybe she was screwing with the advancement of technology here, but if it meant she could have easier access to hygiene, she honestly didn't feel as guilty.

Still, Airi had found that if she wasn't working in the kitchen, or sleeping in the servant's quarters, she was always in the company of Dimitri-san. 

She didn't mind; in fact, she was happy to be able to talk with someone without fearing that she'd end up blurting out something strange and being taken in for questioning. It was refreshing from constantly holding herself back.

Dimitri-san understood and accepted that she was from a different time and place, and treated her like a real lady no matter what. He would consistently go out of his way for her, even when she thought it would bother or take up his time. It was all very flattering.

She just hoped she was strong enough to stop herself from developing any deeper feelings of affection for him. He certainly made it hard to resist already, but she had to remind herself.

This wasn't her world, and her friends were waiting for her back in Tokyo.

One day, whether it be tomorrow, next week, or next year, she would go back, and she would never see Dimitri-san again.

Just thinking that made her chest hurt.

The doors that led inside the coliseum were large, but she somehow managed to push her way in, and she looked around curiously. At this time, it would be empty since everyone was either at dinner or heading to bed. 

Just as she had hoped, the grounds were empty. The practice area itself had old stone tile flooring, with each arena marked off with crude white chalk. Large roman-like pillars surrounded the square, and the ceiling was open to show the starry night sky.

To the sides were rows upon rows of weapons: Spears, swords, hammers, axes, bows, knuckle dusters. Really, every kind of medieval weaponry she expected. 

While it was night time, there were enough lit torches hung around the walls to light the training grounds, and she made sure the area was empty before stopping right under the sky.

She took a deep breath and held her hand out.

Even after perusing the library, there wasn't much information passed 1000 years ago. Supposedly, this Lady Seiros had fought with Nemesis, a barbarian king, and won. She had spread word of how the Goddess had chosen her to lead the people into peace, and the Church was born. However, there wasn't much mention of just how she did it, or where she had come from. The Goddess was mentioned after humans were already roaming the world, so even if this goddess did exist, she didn't create life.

No. Rather, she did something else.

Holding her hand out, Airi closed her eyes and concentrated. 

She had wondered about this since coming to this world, especially when she saw people, ordinary people, use magic, but it was only when she had met Rhea-sama and Byleth-sensei did she finally decide to act.

She had felt their otherworldly power-- at least with Rhea-sama. When she had first laid eyes on her, it was like seeing two images on top of each other. With Byleth-sensei, she had felt a strange presence-- not with him, but attached to him.

Jeanne hummed in the back of her mind, awakened and active, and a tendril of willpower reached from the well of her soul and toward her hand.

Almost...

Suddenly, she felt a breeze, one that caused her hair to flutter and caress her face. Considering the fact that there were no windows in this building, and the door was closed, there shouldn't have been a breeze at all.

Immediately tensing, she snapped her eyes open only to see a sword heading straight for her head.

Pushing the balls of her feet, she dashed back, using her extra momentum to twist away from the next attack. Landing a few feet away with an experienced spin, she looked up in alarm to see who had the guts to suddenly attack her without warning.

Stalwart amber eyes stared back at her warm reds.

Holding his sword in a ready position, Felix dashed toward her with no intention of stopping. Gasping, Airi found herself near one of the walls of weapons and immediately reached out for one at random, just in time to block the oncoming attack.

She gritted her teeth, holding the chosen spear up with both arms just to afford any sort of resistance on her end. Damn it, he was strong..!

Instead of pushing back against him when she knew she wasn't strong enough, she instead relaxed her arms, causing him to fall forward from the sudden lack of support.

His eyes widened as he came closer, and Airi spun on her heel, using her momentum to swing her spear hard enough to bat him away, and then jumped back to create some distance between them.

He didn't fall or stumble; instead, he rolled, absorbing the impact against the floor, and quickly got back onto his feet, holding his sword at chest level.

She in turn twirled her spear to be gripped in her right hand only with the tip pointed toward the ground, and her left arm held up as defense.

A tense silence filled the air as they both came to a standstill.

Panting softly, Airi reflexively clenched her hands. "...Why did you attack me?" She asked, wary and irritated.

Felix stilled at the question, and then huffed, relaxing his stance. "To test you," he answered simply, sliding his sword back into its sheath. 

She blinked. "Test me?"

He had suddenly assaulted her without warning, almost killed her, and it was all to test her. Fucking hell, this place.

"The boar insists you're an asset to our class, but even he wouldn't be dumb enough to involve a simple civilian just because he was feeling pitiful," the swordsman answered, narrowing his eyes at her. "I knew you must've had some sort of experience with weapons, but you haven't done anything in class besides taking notes, so I had to force you to fight me." He suddenly smiled thinly. "And I was right."

Gasping, Airi glanced down at her spear, borrowed from one of the weapons racks, and promptly dropped it. It hit the floor with a dull thunk, echoing in the large and empty training grounds.

"I..." She hesitated and hugged herself. "I may know how to fight, but I don't want to, okay? Why can't you understand that?"

"Why?" Felix immediately demanded to know. He stepped closer, and with every step he took, she took a step back, until she felt her back hit against one of the stone pillars. "Do you think just because you can pick up a weapon and swing it around, you're suddenly going to become a 'killer' like me?" He spat out the word sarcastically. "Don't be foolish. You're nowhere near skilled enough to be a challenge to me or anyone else in our class."

Airi could feel her anger rise with every word he uttered out of his mouth. "Oh, because suddenly attacking me when I don't have a weapon shows how 'unskilled' I am," she retorted with a glare. "Do you do this with Annette-san? Mercedes-san? Ashe-san? You suddenly feel like testing someone out and attack them?"

"Unlike you, I actually know how they fight because _they_ practice with the class," Felix growled. He took another step. "You hide behind the boar like a timid fawn, unable to see that the beast you're hiding from is the same person."

"I'm not hiding from anything!" Airi disputed, beyond exasperated. "Is it so wrong to not want to fight? Are you people this crazy that everything has to be about fighting-"

"I'm trying to _help_ you!" Felix yelled back, now right in her face.

Snapping her mouth shut with a click, Airi blinked. What..?

He took a deep breath to calm himself, and looked away. "...I can't stop the boar from doing whatever he wants. All he talks about these days is how he can help you; how he can find the books you want from the library, talking to Professor Hanneman for magic practice, even going so far as to request an audience with Lady Rhea to admit you into our class." He curled his mouth in disgust. "Anyone with eyes can tell he's obsessed with you."

Obsessed? As in, he paid too much attention to her?

She did think that, but...Didn't 'obsess' have a negative connotation to it?

"Whether or not he is genuine in this is up for debate, but know this: One day, he will snap." Felix stepped closer, to the point where their chests almost met. She tensed. "He will be unable to recognize friend from foe, and he will slaughter because that is what he is best at." He stared relentlessly into her wide eyes. "He will tear, he will rip, and he will stab. He will spear through _dozens_ of men before he stops."

"And you will be _right_ there, because he insists on keeping you at his side, and you will **not** know his mercy, for a beast has none."

Speechless, Airi could only stare at him, terrified.

Could that really be true..?

"...What should I do?" She whispered without thinking.

For a second, he looked surprised, but it was gone just as soon as it appeared. "I can't stop him, but I can at least make sure _you _survive," he replied. Bending down to pick up her discarded spear, he held it out to her. "You'll train with me until I deem you're good enough. At least then, I can rest easy knowing I did what I could."

Looking at the outstretched weapon, Airi slowly took it. "...Didn't you say Dimitri-san is your friend?" She hesitantly asked. "You have so little faith in him. Dehumanizing him."

He narrowed his eyes at the slight. "I have no need for friends, especially those who can't control themselves."

Can't control themselves? It didn't sound like he only meant Dimitri-san. "Like Sylvain-san?"

Taking several steps back to unsheathe his blade once more, Felix scoffed at the question. "Sylvain? He's the very definition of indulgence. Honestly, that man..." he muttered. "Flirting with any woman he comes across, whether or not they're actually interested. Pathetic."

Airi watched him and bit her lip. It seemed like he was going to fight her, no matter what. At least it was because he wanted to help her, even though it sounded rather backhanded of him. He was trying to protect her by making sure she was capable enough to survive. If only he could see that Dimitri-san wasn't as much of a beast as he claimed.

Holding up her spear, she tested its weight. She was used to something more heavy and unbalanced; more for slashing than stabbing. This could still work, though.

She gripped her spear with both hands and readied herself.

Felix watched with an approving gaze; one that felt almost like a compliment, and it distracted her, just long enough for her reaction to slow when he suddenly struck. He swung his sword from a horizontal angle, and she barely had enough time to jump back and away. Taking advantage of her panicked state, he struck again, and she was forced into the defensive, dodging and rolling away from his every swipe.

"You can't keep dodging!" He yelled at her, and she gritted her teeth.

She knew that..!

Dodging one last time, she stabbed forward with her spear, barely grazing his left shoulder. He ducked underneath and swung up, only to meet the pole of her weapon. She pushed back with both hands and stuck out her leg, catching him in his stomach.

He stumbled back with a sharp exhale, and she used his moment of weakness to swing down, only to realize her mistake; a spear wasn't supposed to be used like this--

Too late.

He swung up again, slicing through a weak spot in the wood, and his eyes widened, as if he hadn't expected that to happen.

She watched in slow motion as the blade came closer and closer toward her chest, right at her heart, and it didn't seem like Felix-san would be able to stop himself in time.

She could only squeeze her eyes in preparation. Jeanne!

An answer from her Persona came to her in the form of a pulse, and she felt her hand warm up, just like when she would unleash a kouha. 

_It was possible._

She placed her thumb behind her middle finger, ready to snap, when a shout caught her attention, followed by the sound of metal hitting metal. 

"AIRI!"

Recognizing the desperate voice, she opened her eyes to see the firm back of Dimitri's uniform. He had slid in front of her just in time and intercepted Felix's attack with his spear, one that was made entirely out of steel.

Dimitri pushed back the blade with an unnatural ease and swung his spear downward, using enough force that it disturbed the loose grains in the tiling. "What were you thinking, Felix!" He roared, face contorted in anger. "You could have hurt her!"

Even Felix didn't seem like he had a good answer; his face still showed how shocked and almost horrified he was. "I...I wasn't going to!" He pushed out. "The blade would've only scratched her!"

"That is a scratch too much!" Dimitri reached out and grabbed the other by his arm, forcing him to drop his weapon. "Did you even stop to think for a second what would have happened if I had not arrived in time?!" He asked, lips peeled back in a snarl. "Airi is not like us!"

"You think I don't know?!" Felix yelled back, yanking his arm out of the other's grip. "Don't take me for a fool, you wild boar! It was only a spar!"

"A spar that was unsanctioned and unsupervised," Dimitri retaliated just as strongly. "If you think for even a second that I would allow you near her ever again, then you are even more of a fool than I thought! What next, Felix?! Will you end up trying again?! It will not be a minor accident next time; you could end up killing her! I would never forgive you!"

"Enough..!" Airi finally shouted.

Latching onto Dimitri's arm, she tried to pull him away. "Dimitri!"

When he turned his furious gaze upon her, her heart stopped, fear and dread creeping up her stomach. Was this what Felix-san had meant? "Dimitri-san, please?" She whispered shakily. "It's-It's okay. He didn't hurt me. Everything is okay."

Seeing her shaken form, Dimitri quickly snapped out of his rage and held her hands in his. "Are you sure?" He asked, fraught with worry. "He did not attempt anything else?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Really." She smiled weakly. "Felix-san was helping me practice. I really do need to start so I can keep up with the class. It- It was just an accident. I'm sure Felix-san would've pulled back at the last second anyway." She turned her head to the other young man in the room, who looked unsettled. "Right?"

Snapping his gaze to her, Felix stared for a few moments before nodding. "Of course," he said with a scoff. "As if I wasn't skilled enough to hold back against a defenseless woman."

Dimitri slowly began to relax, and he closed his eyes. "Truly?"

Airi nodded. "Yes, really." She then smiled sweetly. "Thank you for saving me though, Dimitri-san."

A blush crawled onto his cheeks. "I...I am glad you are unharmed." Pursing his lips, he turned to the other young man. "Felix? I owe you an apology," he said sincerely. "I was too hasty with my assumptions-"

"Forget it," Felix snapped. He bent down to retrieve his blade, and took out a cleaning cloth from his belt. "Just don't tell anyone else about this."

Airi bowed. "Thank you, Felix-san." She then tugged at Dimitri's arm again. "C'mon, we should go now."

"Mm." Dimitri nodded. Giving his former friend a sad frown, he placed a hand on the smaller girl's back and led her out of the training grounds.

Airi glanced back, only to see Felix's remorseful gaze, right before the doors shut behind her. "...It's okay, Dimitri-san," she began to say again. "Really, nothing happened."

"...I believe you," Dimitri said after a tense moment. "I just...can not bear to see you hurt."

They stopped in the middle of the deserted road; it was too late for anybody but the occasional patrol guard to be out and about, leaving the two of them alone.

He turned to her and held her hands in his once more. "I know you have some training," he murmured absentmindedly as his finger brushed against her callouses. "But I know you would never willingly fight, so to see Felix holding his blade toward you, and coming so close to- to..." He couldn't finish his sentence, and held her hands up to his forehead in a prayer. "I almost thought I would _lose_ you."

Face blushing red at the intimate contact, Airi bit her lip. "You didn't, though. I'm fine, Dimitri-san. In fact, I probably smell a little from sweating," she tried to joke.

He glanced up at her. "You could never be malodorous. I do not think you are even capable of it. You..." He hesitated, lowering their arms but not letting go of her hands. He squeezed her hands a little tighter. "You...are wonderful," he admitted with a shy blush. "Truly."

She couldn't breathe. "Dimitri-san..."

"Dimitri, please," he corrected her. "You told me '-san' is for formality's sake, but I think we are beyond such formalities by now, no?" He asked hopefully.

Heart pounding loudly in her chest, Airi wetted her dry throat. "D-Dimitri..." she whispered, as if it was a forbidden word.

His eyes lit up. "Airi..." he breathed out.

Hearing her name with no prefixes, spoken by a handsome and strong prince, Airi knew her cheeks were blooming red at this point, and her heart skipped a beat before quickly resuming with exhilaration.

She was in so much trouble.


	6. Chapter 6

The lunch hour was finally dying down, and being the new girl, Airi had to deal with clean up.

Crouching down and groaning when her back cracked, she reluctantly began scrubbing the dishes in a bucket of soapy water with a rag. She grimaced when she had to use the same water to wash every single dish, and the bucket began to coagulate into a disgusting slop of food bits and oil.

If there was one thing she really disliked about Garreg Mach right now, it was that it didn't have running water. She had to take the water from either the well or the fishing pond's waterfall where the water was freshest, and then carry it back to the kitchen. Thankfully, the journey was short- only a couple of steps up and down a flight of stairs- but every day she sounded more and more like a whiny city girl. 

"_No running water, no air conditioning, no modern plumbing_..." Airi muttered, rubbing extra hard on a risotto plate. "_I don't understand how people can be comfortable here_."

"Girl!" Head chef Edna barked in her direction from the furnace, and she flinched. "Stop muttering in your barbarian language and hurry up with those plates! We need them for the desserts!"

"Yes, madam," Airi answered halfheartedly, making sure to keep her head bowed to hide the scowl on her face. 

It wasn't the same language, but having an old woman shout at her, _degrading_ her by not even calling her her name, reminded Airi of her old matron. Fucking hell, if there was ever a person she wanted to curse out, it was these kinds of people. The racism was just the cherry on top.

Finishing up the last plates, she wiped her forehead with her arm, and picked up the dirty bucket water to haul outside. When she finished that as well, she rolled her neck, hearing a few pops, and trudged back in with a sigh.

"Oh! Airi!"

Pausing, Airi turned around to see Annette run up to her with a bright smile. "Thank you for your hard work, Airi!" Annette said once she stopped in front of her. "My lunch today was delicious!"

Airi smiled. She genuinely liked the smaller girl for her earnest and peppy personality. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I was actually wondering..." Annette trailed off with a small blush. "Um, if it would be all right if I could use the kitchen for a little while?"

"Huh?" Airi blinked, surprised. "Well...I'm not sure if I can take you in there. It's supposed to be staff only, and I don't know if-"

Suddenly, a gnarled hand clamped on her thin shoulder and squeezed, almost too hard. Wincing, Airi looked to see it was head chef Edna. "Of course you can, Miss Dominic!" The old lady said with a sickly sweet smile. It looked horribly unnatural and out of place. "The kitchen is free for you to use. This one can help you with anything you need, mmkay?"

Annette eyed the hand, noticing how the nails almost pierced through the chef uniform, and then looked at Airi's face, now lacking any expression, and awkwardly smiled. "U-Um, thank you! I'll try not to leave a mess!"

"Oh, do not worry about that," head chef Edna tsk'ed. "This one will clean up. Please finish before the sun sets because the staff will need to use the kitchens again for the dinner hour, but otherwise, feel free to use whatever you wish. Have fun!" 

With one last squeeze on Airi's shoulder, the elderly woman left the two, probably to take her break. When she was finally gone, Airi couldn't hold back her frown. "_Asshole_..." she muttered.

"Are you okay?" Annette fretted. "I don't want you to get in trouble..."

Airi shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said with a weak smile. "I would probably be in more trouble if we don't do this now. Let's go?"

Brightening, Annette followed her into the kitchen and looked around inquisitively. "Oh wow, it's so well-stocked!" She admired all the dried herbs that hung on racks, as well as the various bowls and equipment used to cook. "I don't even know where to start..."

"Well..." Airi tapped her chin. "What sort of food do you want to make?"

"Something delicious!" Annette replied with gusto. "I want to be able to cook well! I know it takes a lot of skill and patience, but that's why I want to try!"

Tilting her head, Airi smiled and nodded. "Got it. Maybe we can do a omurice? It's simple but it's good to know how to make."

"Omurice?" Annette repeated, confused. "What is that?"

"Oh, um...It's a combo word for omelet and rice," Airi explained slowly, trying to remember the terms in English. "It's like, uh, fried rice with a omelet on top? You fold it so it covers over the rice. It's very simple to make; I remember making it with my mom when I was little."

Excited, the smaller girl held her fists up. "Please guide me how to make this omurice!"

Airi smiled. "Sure!"

* * *

"I..." Annette looked distraught and about ready to cry. "I-I'm so sorry, Airi! I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"It- It's okay..." Airi said with a weak smile, lowering the bucket in her hand. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"Not like this, though!" was the other girl's reply.

Sighing, Airi glanced at what she meant and grimaced. The pan was warped beyond saving from the hot fires, and what should've been rice cooking in the pan were now little pieces of charcoal, still smoking even after she had thrown water on it. They hadn't even gotten to the egg part; Annette had cracked the egg too hard against an edge and spilled the contents all over, and then couldn't emit enough force to crack the next one and accidentally dropped it onto the floor, wasting it. 

The kitchen was filled with the black smoke from the burnt rice, and she had opened every available window to air it out. She could see several people outside, students and servants, had stopped to stare inquisitively. 

"Aaaaah!" Annette let out a defeated wail. "I really hoped I would've been able to do it, but now I've wasted the ingredients, and you're cleaning up my mess..."

Shaking her head, she rushed to help clean and reached for the pan.

"No, don't touch that-!" Airi shouted quickly, pulling the other girl just before her hands touched the handle. She sighed in relief. "It's still really hot. You could burn your hands if you're not careful."

Annette wilted and let her hand fall. "O-Oh, right...I forgot..."

"What is going on?"

The two girls looked toward the doorway to see Dedue standing there, surveying the acrid smoke and ruined food with a frown. "What happened here?" He asked.

"I..." Annette nervously wrung her hands. "I was trying to cook, and the pan...kind of...exploded."

He slowly blinked. "...How did you manage that?"

"I don't know!" She whimpered. "I looked away for a moment and then the pan went BOOM! Everything caught fire!"

"Are you hurt?" Dedue immediately asked with a faint look of concern.

She shook her head. "No, I'm okay! Just a little spooked..."

"You added too much kindling," Airi gently explained. She wrapped a rag around the handle and lifted it into a bucket of water. The water immediately hissed and steamed upon contact, showing just how hot it was. "This kind of pan is too thin for that much heat. There also wasn't enough oil, so the rice burned easily."

"I'm sorry, Airi..." Annette said with her head bowed in shame. "I inconvenienced you to let me use the kitchen, and now I've made such a mess...I'm glad no one got hurt, though! It could've turned so much worse."

"It's okay, I don't blame you. I had trouble cooking when I first got here as well." It had been hard. She had grown up using gas and electric stoves, and now all of a sudden, she had to use kindling in what was basically a fire pit to cook. Without being able to control the temperature and keeping it steady, she had burned a few dishes herself before she finally got the hang of it. Even now, it was difficult to do much, and she couldn't imagine doing anything like baking delicacies. 

She yearned for a toaster oven...

"I shall assist in helping you clean," Dedue stated as he rolled his sleeves up. 

"Oh!" Annette waved her hands. "You don't have to, Dedue! It's my mess!"

She hadn't spoken fast enough, as he had already begun using a rag to get rid of the black scorch marks that stained the surrounding area. "It will be faster if all three of us work," he stated. "Besides, I also wish to use the kitchen myself."

Curious, Airi couldn't help but ask, "You cook, Dedue-san?"

He nodded. "It is the only way I can have a taste of home." He picked up the pan by the handle with no problem, and scraped off the burnt remains into the waste bucket. "His Highness says I should continue, so I will."

"Where do you come from, if it's okay to ask?" Airi had to admit she was beyond curious. She had only seen the map for Fodlan once, and it didn't really tell her much. "Somewhere in Fodlan?"

At the question, Dedue seemed to hesitate, as if he was reluctant to speak about it. "...I am from Duscur. To the north of Faerghus," he said in an even voice. "It is like a desert; full of warm sands and rare but beautiful flowers."

"Wow, that sounds so beautiful..." Airi mused with a smile. "I've never been to a desert, but if it's like a beach, my skin would probably burn from the sun."

Dedue let out a breathy huff of amusement. "Yes, the sun is much stronger up north. Faerghus is not far from it, but it yields icy mountains and snowy plains most days of the year. Even here in Garreg Mach, it feels too cold for me, but I have grown accustomed to it."

"It's...really so different?" Annette hesitantly spoke up. "I never thought about going to Duscur..."

"You do not have to think on it ever again, for there is nothing to see," Dedue replied calmly. "No one is left to welcome you."

Taken aback, Airi frowned. No one was left? What had happened? 

Someone knocked on the kitchen's door, attracting all three of their attentions. Ingrid awkwardly stood in the doorway, wearing an uncomfortable frown on her usually amiable face. "Excuse the interruption, but I would like to speak to you, Airi."

Airi blinked and pointed to herself. "Me? Is something wrong, Ingrid-san?"

Ingrid grimaced, and instead of explaining, gently pulled the pink-haired girl with her out of the kitchen. "Perhaps. Annette," she addressed the other girl. "Professor Hanneman was looking for you earlier."

"Oh!" The flighty mage leaped up from her kneeling position on the floor. "Thank you for letting me know, Ingrid!" She turned to Dedue with a guilty face. "I'm sorry for leaving you to clean up my mess, Dedue. I'll make it up to you!"

Dedue only shook his head. "Go."

As Annette rushed out of the kitchen and through the dining hall without a look back, Ingrid also pulled Airi outside, leaving Dedue by himself in the kitchen to clean up a mess he had not created. Ingrid stayed oddly silent, even though she was the one who had requested a private audience with her.

They finally stopped near a few benches that were situated across from the dormitories, and Ingrid let go. "I...apologize for suddenly plucking you from your duties like this, but I thought it would be important."

Airi frowned. "Is something the matter, Ingrid-san?"

"You are not from Fodlan, correct?" Ingrid asked stiffly. "Could you hail from Albinea? I do not think your skin tone would fair well in other regions like Brigid or Almyra."

"Um..."

Ingrid suddenly shook her head. "Forgive me. I should not ask about your homeland like this; it is rather rude of me. I only ask because I assume you know nothing about Duscur's history, and its...people."

The word 'people' was said with forced composure.

Airi felt her eyebrows raise toward her hairline. What exactly did that mean? Was there some sort of...derogatory undertone she was detecting? "...No," she answered carefully. "I am unaware."

Ingrid squared her shoulders. She held a look of discontent, almost bordering on derisive, like when seeing a rat inside a larder. Unwanted, unclean, and undeserving. "I am unsure of what His Highness has told you about his past," she began, "but our former king and his royal consort-queen had been assassinated by agents later identified as Duscur natives. His Highness lost everything that day."

Airi struggled to keep up with her measly vocabulary. "So...Dimitri had lost his parents?" She murmured.

Just like her.

Ingrid nodded. "Yes. That day, we did not just lose our king and queen, but a number of other nobles that were accompanying them, and..." She looked down and clenched her fists. "My fiance, Glenn."

Gasping, Airi held her hands over her mouth. "No..." She slowly reached out and placed her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Ingrid-san..."

Taking a long and slow inhale, Ingrid nodded. "Thank you. I...I am still shaken by his loss. We would have wed this spring, had he lived." She shook her head. "But he is not here, and it is all due to those Duscur assassins," she spat. "It is because of them that we have lost our king and queen, and left His Highness scarred. Our country still has not recovered, and we mourn every day. I will never forgive them." 

"That is why," Ingrid took hold of her hands and held them firmly. "You should not converse with Dedue so freely."

"Huh?" Airi blinked. "Why? Dedue-san has been kind." 

Was he one of the assassins? Or had worked as one? But then, why would Dimitri allow his parents's killer so close if that were true? No, it was too crazy to think. 

"He is of Duscur," Ingrid replied matter-of-factly. "That alone makes him dangerous."

"I...I don't understand."

"It is true that Dedue has yet to do anything, but there is always the possibility," Ingrid said with a stern frown. "His Highness does not believe so, but I do not doubt that Dedue may have other intentions as his retainer. It is not impossible to think he may be trying to get closer to him to kill him. His people had killed our king and queen, after all."

"Wait..." Airi was trying to wrap her head around the argument but could only come to one conclusion, and it was not a good one, either. "Are you...saying I shouldn't talk to Dedue-san because of where he's from? That's kind of...what's the word. Grouping? Generalizing?" She nodded. "Yes, generalizing."

"I..." Ingrid looked uncomfortable. "The Duscur people cannot be trusted. We have never held a good relationship with them, and after what they had done, I truly do not think we ever will. Dedue cannot be trusted."

"Ingrid-san..." For the first time since arriving in this horrible backwards world, Airi could feel genuine anger welling up inside herself. "That's very unkind of you to say. I sympathize; I had lost my parents as well to a violent man, but that doesn't mean I blame the man's extended family and everyone related to him. It was Hiso- the man himself who decided to kill my parents."

Ingrid let out a surprised noise. "You had lost your parents as well? My condolences."

"Thank you, but that isn't the point." Airi took a deep breath. "The point is, you're saying Dedue-san shouldn't be trusted because of where he comes from. His skin. His looks. His race. Because some of his people had committed a terrible crime. Right?"

"...Yes." Despite the surety in her voice, Ingrid looked away for a moment.

Guilt. Shame. Resentment.

Airi sighed and felt the anger seeped from her bones, leaving her feeling exhausted. "I understand. You want someone to blame for Glenn-san's death, but you're taking it out on the wrong person. Dedue-san has done nothing wrong; he's been nothing but kind and wise. If he was suspicious, then I doubt Dimitri would let him get so close, right?"

"That...is true."

"Do you really think Dimitri would have let Dedue-san get so close if Dedue-san was the culprit?" Airi asked quietly. "Dimitri trusts him, and I trust Dimitri."

Ingrid looked down in silence.

Bowing, Airi stepped away, leaving the knight to stew in her own thoughts. She sighed, unpinning her loosening bun from her head, letting the pink curls fall to her back.

She didn't think she would be dealing with racism like this, but then again, where there were different people, there would be misunderstandings and hate. She felt for Ingrid-san, she really did. Losing a loved one was never easy, especially when it was for no good reason, but it didn't mean she was allowed to hate an innocent person. She would stand her ground on this; Dedue-san did nothing wrong. Dimitri wouldn't...

Airi harshly swallowed.

Dimitri would never allow him to live if he really did have something to do with his parents's murder.

And that was something she inherently understood, no matter how terrible it was to admit.

"That was a nice speech back there."

Startled, Airi looked up to see Claude leaning against the wall. When he saw her look at him, he flashed a quick grin and walked up to her. "Hey there, miss Airi. Long time no speak, huh?"

"Hello, Claude-san." Airi made sure to bow. She remembered that he was the heir of the Leicester Alliance, which meant he was basically royalty like Dimitri. "It has been a while, yeah."

Claude waved away her bow. "Please, none of that. You don't have to be formal with me." He winked. "I don't bite."

She laughed at the rather fake gesture. "I'll hold you to that."

He grinned at her answer, and guided her over to a bench to take a seat. "Anyway, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Ingrid. It's rare to find someone here with your views," he remarked rather casually, but his observing gaze said otherwise. "You're an interesting person, miss Airi."

"Airi is fine," she stated, before tilting her head. "Are you also from another place, Claude-san?"

Closing one eye, he playfully shushed her. "Careful. Asking someone their nationality is a little rude, you know. Nations outside of Fodlan aren't viewed in a kind light, as you've already seen. Keep it in mind if you ever speak your native tongue around here." He leaned back in his seat. "I'm from Leicester. That's all you need to know."

Airi raised a brow. So, yes, he was definitely from a different region. 

"Since you've raised my curiosity, where are you from, Airi?" Claude asked, curious. "I'd take a gander and say you're a Goneril, but I already asked Hilda and she said you're not a relation. Plus, you refer to me as Claude'-san', and I've never heard of that before."

Airi nervously licked her lips. "Well...I'm from far away. That's all you need to know."

He snorted at having his words thrown back at him. "Fair enough. It's a good thing you have Dimitri for protection here; being in the good graces of royalty will certainly do you favors."

"I didn't really ask for it; he was the one to reach out to me," she confessed quietly. "I don't know why, but...I'm glad."

Claude blinked in surprise. "Dimitri did? That's surprising...Oh. _Oh_." He grinned slyly. "I see. The prince has found his future queen."

"Eh?!" Airi could feel her face heat up from his implication. "N-No way! That's too soon to say!"

He snickered. "So, you're acknowledging that it can happen as time goes on?"

Unable to come up with a good response, she hid her face in her hands and whimpered. "No..."

As the tan young man laughed at her reaction, Airi couldn't help but think.

Was Dimitri really interested in her in that way? To someday marry her and make her his queen? She had always thought that royalty married other royalty, or at the very least, nobles. Why would a prince of a holy kingdom want her as his queen?

She was no one, even in her own world. She was a high school class representative who worked part time as a florist. Being a Phantom Thief hadn't increased her popularity or desirability, either, though there were certainly some people out there who thought the Phantom Thieves were the coolest shit to ever hit the internet.

No. She wasn't fit to be a queen, and she wasn't fit to stay in this world, either.

She shouldn't even be entertaining these thoughts.

"-ello?" A hand waved in front of her face, and she blinked. "Hello, Airi? You in there?" 

"Ah, sorry about that, Claude-san." She looked away for a moment. "I was just thinking..."

"Well..." Claude observed her. "You were thinking pretty hard, then. Also, you can drop the '-san'. If I shouldn't call you miss, you shouldn't have to call me sir in your language, either."

"S-Sure, Claude...-kun."

"Nu-huh." He waved his finger at her. "No formalities, remember? I'm just good ole Claude. Friends shouldn't be calling each other miss and sir."

Airi looked at him, surprised. "Friends?" She then smiled. "Okay then, Claude. Sorry if I slip up sometimes. I'm still shaky with the language."

He snorted. "You're already doing better than Petra, that's for sure. Anyway..." Standing up, he stretched his arms up in the air. "All this sitting around is making me stiff. Wanna have a spar?" He winked. "Just a nice, friendly little match."

Oh great. Just when she thought she had found someone who had similar mannerisms to people from Earth, he had to show some Fodlan in him by asking for a fight.

Sighing, Airi nodded. "Should I meet you there? I'll need to go change first." She gestured to her kitchen robes. 

Claude brightened and pointed toward the direction of the Training Hall, the one where Felix had almost killed her in a week ago. "Meet me in half an hour in front of the Training Hall."

She nodded. "Half an hour it is."

* * *

Dressed in tights and her uniform's undershirt, Airi stood ready with her borrowed spear. Claude stood opposite of her, and held a borrowed axe as well from the equipment rack. The rest of the Hall was thankfully empty, but it wasn't guaranteed to stay this way, and she didn't want a repeat of last week. This time, she knew she had to put in real effort, or else she would just get hurt. As Felix-san had told her, knowing how to fight was crucial for her continued survival.

"Ready?" Claude called out to her, axe held with both hands.

"Ready!" Airi answered, raising her spear.

With a smirk, he rushed toward her, raising his axe high in the air for a downward strike. Before he could land a hit, however, Airi pushed herself to the left to dodge, and used her spear's blunt side to whack him on his thigh, dodging back again when he swung the axe in her direction. 

"You can't get away that easily!" He taunted as he followed her movements with his own. Using both hands, he swung his weapon and spun, using his own momentum to garner more speed and force behind his attack.

Airi smiled slyly and ducked, the edge of the axe almost grazing the tip of her nose, and she swung her leg up. Using her spear as support, she flipped herself over, her foot catching his chin. Landing back on the ground, she stared in amusement as Claude rubbed his chin with a groan. "So much talking," she remarked. "I thought we were here to spar, not to chat."

Chuckling, Claude ran a hand through his hair. "You got me there," he replied. "You're not half bad, you know? But, you're not really using your spear like you should. Are you used to a different weapon?"

"Something like that." She didn't know if scythes were a thing in this world. Perhaps they belonged to a specialization class. "You're also kind of awkward with an axe. Is it also not your main weapon?"

"Something like that," came his infuriating response, coupled with a teasing grin.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. Seeing as the spar was over, Airi relaxed her stance and dusted off her clothes, only to catch sight of blue near the door and felt her heart freeze. "Um...I can explain?" She said almost meekly.

Dimitri stared, his eyes darting from her to Claude, to their weapons, before returning to her gaze with a strained look. "...Please do."

"Hey, Dimitri!" Claude dropped his axe to the ground to wave amiably at his fellow House leader. "What a coincidence! Me and Airi here were just sparring. Did you see us?"

The prince winced at the word 'spar', and quickly walked up to Airi, looking her over with a critical eye. "Are you all right?" He asked worriedly. "He did not injure you, did he?"

Airi shook her head. "No, it was...it was kind of fun," she admitted. "It's nice to be doing something other than work, and Claude had suggested it first."

He frowned. "Claude, huh...no '-san'," he muttered darkly under his breath before turning to the man in question. "Claude, might I ask why you had invited Airi to a spar?" He asked with a testy voice.

Claude raised a brow. "Because sparring is a good way to test each other's skills, and getting to know each other? How'd you find us anyway? I didn't tell anyone I was going to be here, unless Airi spilled the beans."

"I saw," came the reply from the doorway where Byleth was standing, a blank expression occupying his face like always.

"Oh, hey Teach," Claude sheepishly greeted his professor. 

Byleth nodded in response.

Checking Airi over once more, Dimitri let out a long sigh and gingerly held her hands in his. "I am glad you are well," he said quietly. "When Professor Byleth mentioned you were heading toward the Training Hall, I admit, I had worried."

Airi felt her heart skip a beat when his hands touched hers, and she subtly swallowed. "I'm fine, Dimitri," she reassured him. "I should get used to sparring if I'm going to be here for a while longer. I don't want you to have to protect me if we ever have to go into battle."

"And what if I said that that is all I wish?" His mouth barely moved, and his voice was so quiet she strained to hear what he had to say, but it didn't make his words any less heavy. "To protect you from all threats? To make sure no one would ever hurt you, to ensure your safety?"

"I..." Her throat was dry. Claude's words from earlier about her being queen flashed through her mind. She could feel herself begin to panic. "I...would be flattered, and I'm thankful...but I should be able to rely on myself, too..?"

Dimitri looked distressed. "I wish that you would rely more on me. Have I not proven myself to you?"

She stared up at him, eyes wide and heart trembling. Was she supposed to rely more on him? Should she? Could she really afford to?

"Hey hey hey." A tan hand came between them to gently push Dimitri back a step or two. Claude gave them both a concerned frown. "It doesn't have to be so serious. It was just a spar, Dimitri. We both consented to it, and no one got hurt. Right, Airi?"

Blinking rapidly, Airi bit her lip and nodded. "R-Right."

Though he looked like he wanted to argue, Dimitri wisely closed his mouth and sighed. "You are right, my apologies. I admit, I am...overly concerned with Airi's safety here, but I should not take it out on you."

"Hah!" Claude gave him a teasing grin and nudged him with an elbow. "Overly concerned, eh? Why is that, I wonder, crown prince of Faerghus? You afraid I'll do something terrible and naughty to your lady?"

While a blush appeared on his face, Dimitri scowled. "On second thought, perhaps I _should_ take it out on you." Taking Airi's spear, he swung it experimentally a few times before readying his stance. "Pick up your weapon, Claude, for I will stand in as Airi's champion."

"Whoa whoa, I didn't mean I wanted to spar with you-"

"You will not back out. On your honor."

"Are you actually serious?-"

Watching as the two young men began to do battle, with or without Claude's permission, Airi decided to put herself away from potential harm and walked over to where Byleth was standing. He had moved, but only to a spot where he wouldn't get hit by the large doors, and far enough away from the ensuing spar.

When she reached his side, she bowed. "Sensei."

His cool green eyes slid to her, and he nodded. 

With him so close, Airi was able to feel the strange aura around him much more clearly. Unlike Rhea-sama who held far too much power in her being to be human, Byleth-sensei was almost the opposite. There was an absence in his being that wasn't natural. It was the same kind of energy like Rhea's, but on the opposite side of the spectrum. Could he be missing something? Maybe a part of his soul?

The first question, however, was not asked by her. "Are you settling well?" Byleth proposed the question.

Surprised, Airi nodded. "Yes, I think so. It's hard to work in the kitchen and attend class as a student, but it's better than nothing. I'm grateful to Dimitri for the opportunity."

"Why do you work?"

"To...earn my stay, I guess."

He frowned then. It wasn't as noticeable as a regular person's; just the barest turn of the corners of his mouth. "You shouldn't have to. You..."

Ignoring the sounds of battle just a few feet away from her, Airi tilted her head. "Me?"

He turned to her fully, and Airi stilled at seeing _two_ green gazes instead of one.

"You're not supposed to be here," he stated.


	7. Chapter 7

Airi sucked in a breath. "What did you just say..?"

Even Byleth himself looked startled that he had said anything, and he subtly shook his head. "...Never mind."

She frowned, her earlier feelings of embarrassment fading away to be replaced with discomfort and a sense of wariness. "No- I'm sorry but I can't let you say nothing. Please." She took a step closer to the taller man. "Please explain. Do you...know..?"

He silently stared down at her.

She wondered if maybe he was formulating a reply in his head-

The world suddenly shattered.

Gasping, Airi blinked, a feeling of nausea and vertigo coming over her, to the point where she felt she couldn't trust her vision. Byleth looked farther, as if...

She looked down. She was back where she was before taking that step closer. As if...As if it never happened.

"What did you do..." she whispered as she slowly looked back up at him, eyes wide.

Byleth looked bemused, and then, seemingly coming to a conclusion, wordlessly took her hand and led her toward the exit. She let him.

"Huh?" Dimitri turned toward them with an alarmed look, and without looking, blocked Claude's incoming axe with the pole of his spear. "Airi?"

He furrowed his brow at the sight of the green-haired man's grip on the otherworldly girl. Abandoning the spar-- as did Claude-, Dimitri took a step in their direction. "Professor Byleth, might I ask where you are leading her?"

Pausing, Byleth turned to the two other young men. "We're going to have a meeting," he responded with an even voice. "Continue with your spar."

Claude quirked a brow, his eyes watching with an unearthed interest. Dimitri, however, was not so ready to lay this to rest, and turned to Airi. "Is this what you want?" He asked quietly. "Would you like for me to accompany the two of you?"

Biting her lip, Airi shook her head. "...No, it's okay. I want to speak to Byleth-sensei privately." She then smiled softly, though it felt shaky even to her. "Thank you for caring, Dimitri-sa- Dimitri."

Though he still wore a frown, Dimitri reluctantly nodded. "Of course. Please, stay safe."

Nodding, she waved farewell to the two house leaders and followed the professor out of the Training Hall.

The walk wasn't far; only to the dormitories that were a few steps away. The building was only two stories, but it stretched over a considerable amount of the monastery to house the students privileged enough to attend. 

During the walk, Airi took the chance to observe the silent man.

From the few times she had seen and interacted with him, he rarely showed any emotion on his face or in his voice, leading her to believe he was incapable of it if it weren't for his earlier confusion and frustration when talking with her. His gait was steady and evenly placed, not too fast and not too slow. It was so different from the energetic kids she would see going to school, or the harried businessmen and women who rushed to work at the train stations. 

The people here walked with purpose.

She felt a pang in her chest when she realized she and her friends would walk like that; on the days they would finally steal the Treasures of corrupted hearts. It was knowing they had a task to accomplish, one that _needed_ to succeed, and nothing would get in the way of it.

Suddenly, Byleth stopped, and she followed his example with a blink. She looked around and realized they were in one of the dorms. 

Unlike her shared room in the servants quarter, the dormitory was better maintained. The wooden walls and floors were well-taken care of, with a hand-woven white carpet that looked fancy but warm. The bed was definitely a double at least, and it was layered with crisp white sheets and a heavy comforter, one that was probably stuffed with goose downs. There was a desk and drawer as well, both built from a rich brown wood, and a small ledge next to the window that held a variety of books and other knickknacks. 

Was this his room?

"You wished to talk," Byleth stated, garnering her attention. 

Nodding, she closed the doors behind her and then immediately felt a sense of wrongness upon stepping onto the carpet. People shouldn't be stepping on _anything_ indoors with shoes on, ugh, but no one else had this problem, and she couldn't talk because it wasn't like this was her home.

Byleth took out two chairs, as well as a small round desk from the corner, and propped them in the middle of the room. When she took her seat, she expected them to immediately dive into the conversation, but he surprised her by heading to the small corner of the window and taking out, of all things, a tea set and a small burner. 

"Preference?" He asked.

"Uh..." Airi rapidly blinked. "Floral, but anything you have would be fine, thank you."

He nodded, and took out a satchel of what looked like dried rose petals, and one of something she couldn't recognize. The preparation was done with an experienced hand that she would never had expected from a man like him. Did he drink tea that often? 

Airi sat silently while she watched him prepare both teapots.

It was...honestly, really awkward and uncomfortable for her to be in a man's room. A man she didn't really know, but had hinted he knew more than she thought he would. 

When the water finally boiled on the burner, he set both pots down onto the table, as well as a basket of baked sweets, and took a seat. He poured a cup for himself from his pot, and then poured one for her from her pot. 

"Thank you," Airi inclined her head, and picked up the cup by its handle. 

Even the tea set was rather fancy, like one she would find at a tea house. It was delicate porcelain, with small detailed grooves near the rim. 

Smelling the sweetness of her rose petal tea, Airi breathed out and took a tentative sip. As expected, it was sour, but the scent of the petals stuck close to her tongue, leaving the taste almost sweet. "Delicious."

Byleth accepted the compliment with a nod. After a sip of his own, he placed his cup down on its saucer. "You want to ask me about what I said earlier," he stated rather than asked.

Airi nodded, letting her hands rest on her lap. "Yes. Please explain what you meant."

"I can't explain."

"What..? Sorry, but I don't believe you."

"I truly can't. I don't understand it myself."

"How is that possible?"

"They weren't my words."

Her patience snapped. "_What the hell does that even mean_?! _You said something weird earlier and you know it, so just spit it out!_"

Byleth stared at her with his mouth slightly opened in surprise, and Airi paused and winced. She had snapped at him, in Japanese no less. "Sorry, um, I mean...Ugh." Holding a hand to her forehead, she shook her head. "You said 'you're not supposed to be here,' but that doesn't make sense. Anyone can use the Training Hall, and I'm a servant here, so I'm allowed to be here in Garreg Mach. The only explanation is that you know something. So please..."

She looked up at him, pleading with her eyes. "Please tell me what you mean, because I think you know something about why I'm here. You did something earlier, I felt it."

He looked down, and then took a sip from his now tepid tea. "...I can't, because those weren't my words."

If she ever had the urge to punch someone, now was it. "What exactly do you mean?" Airi asked, weary. "Were you taken over or something? Possessed is the word, right?"

He paused then and looked to his left at the windowsill. Or his desk. Or...something. Whatever he was looking at, it wasn't at her. It was almost like he saw something that wasn't there, or at least, something that she couldn't see.

Airi waited patiently.

After a minute or so, Byleth nodded and turned back to her. "...I should explain."

"Yes. Please do," she said through gritted teeth and a forced smile. 

He then gestured to the spot he was just staring at. "Do you see her? Hear her, or sense her?"

That...wasn't what she was expecting to hear from him.

Furrowing her brow, Airi opened her mouth to finally snap at him to stop wasting her time, but then, the air suddenly shifted-

"**-can't hear me. You're the only...aware...Byleth. Don't...this foreigner...no...else has...able...**"

Alarmed, Airi jumped out of her chair and onto her feet, a kouha spell at the tip of her fingertips and her left hand reaching toward her face for where her mask was supposed to be. Maybe the reaction was a little overkill, but she was supposed to be in a private room with only her and Byleth-sensei. _No one else_. 

Byleth tensed in his seat, his hand reaching for the steel sword he kept strapped to his hip, but made no move to stop her. Instead, his eyes kept darting from her to the empty space that had just _talked_.

"**Oh? What...unexpected...! Can...hear me? ...see...?!**"

What was talking to her? A ghost? A Shadow? A Persona? Or some other sort of spirit that she had never even heard of before?

_Jeanne..._

A whispering echo reached her, loud and clear and very displeased. Yes, she was awake, and yes, they would fight if need be.

"Can you hear her?" Byleth asked, eyes slightly wider than usual to show his surprise. 

"I..." Airi struggled to formulate a reply. She didn't know what the hell was going on. Who was this her? "I think?"

Something touched the tip of her nose.

She flinched and darted away, her back hitting the solid frame of the doors. 

There was something in the room with them. Something she couldn't see, but could sense and hear, if poorly. While Byleth-sensei wasn't reacting as strongly as she hoped, he was watching her and whatever it was that had just touched her.

Airi bit her lip and decided it was better to try this now than later. Her continued survival was more important than keeping secrets.

Her left hand cupped the right side of her face, and from the very essence of her soul, she pulled forth her sword and shield. With a flash of light, and the touch of cold metal appearing and melding to her eyes and right cheek, Airi was, for the first time in over a month, wearing a mask again.

Elegant.

This time, Byleth did get up from his seat. "What..?" He stared unabashedly at her, specifically at her mask. "What is that?"

Airi, or rather, Elegant, didn't answer him. She was too busy staring at the little girl with long and wild green hair, draped in dark blues and golden ornaments. Floating in the air, where a second ago without her mask, there was nothing.

"**Hmph. There's no need to be so hostile.**" The little girl tutted at her with a disapproving frown. "**Do you not have manners where you come from?**"

"A spirit..?" Elegant murmured, bemused. "I'm sorry, but until I know who you are, I can't help but be on guard."

The little girl perked up. "**So you _can_ hear me!**" She waved her small hand in front of Elegant's face. "**Can you see me as well? Does that mask allow you to contact entities such as I?**"

"I assume so, yes," Elegant replied. She peered at the spirit with a thoughtful hum. "May I know your name?"

"**So you do have manners.**" The spirit turned to Byleth. "**You weren't nearly as courteous as she when you first spoke with me!**"

Byleth sighed.

"**As for my name, you may call me Sothis**," Sothis introduced herself with a small bow. "**I...am not quite sure what I am as of yet, but I don't have the power to hurt you.**"

Gazing at her for a few moments longer, Elegant slowly nodded and lowered her hand, the spark of a kouha spell fading away. Her mask stayed on, however, as she took her seat once more. Sothis floated closer, and now Elegant was able to feel the slight distortion in the air that came about from her immaterial presence. A regular person wouldn't know they felt it, let alone how to search for a sensation they don't understand, but she was able to now.

It seemed her theory had been right.

"**Explain how you can see me, Airi**," Sothis commanded. "**And why your power allows you to sense me when no one but Byleth can.**"

"Elegant," the Phantom Thief corrected. "When I have the mask on, please call me Elegant. It...protects me, in a way. Can you please explain why you said I 'shouldn't be here'? Do you know?"

Sothis crossed her arms. "**Of course I can tell you're not from this plane of existence! Your aura is too different from the rest of the humans here. I've been observing you for a while now, and from your mannerisms alone, you stick out among all these bratty nobles and the peasant servants.**"

Byleth startled. "This plane of existence?"

"**Why do you suppose I keep calling her foreigner?**"

Elegant grimaced. "I don't know why I can see you. I can only assume..." she trailed off. She looked up at Byleth. "I guess I have to trust you. Are you okay with that? Can you keep this a secret?"

Byleth nodded. "I promise."

"It'll have to do..." Elegant sighed. She gestured at her mask. "You see this mask, yes? This is the representation of the mask I wear over my heart; my true self. I 'will' it here. I shouldn't be able to, though. In my world..." She groaned. "Right, my world, I have to explain that too. This is a mess..." she muttered.

"Take your time," Byleth murmured.

Elegant inclined her head in thanks. "As I was saying, in my world, I shouldn't be able to use this power here in the real world. I can only use it in a, well...mirror world. The world where people's hearts stay."

Sothis looked disturbed. "**Your humans have your hearts outside of your bodies?**"

"No no no, you misunderstand!" Elegant refuted. "It's like, um, not their physical hearts but their emotional ones, their feelings and desires and thoughts that create the mirror world. It's called the _Metaverse_ in my language, but I don't know how to translate that."

"**Metaverse**," Sothis said automatically, before looking shocked. "**How did I...**"

Elegant looked at her, surprised. "Yes, that sounds right. You understood Japanese?"

The spirit shook her head. "**I don't think so, but there are a lot of things about myself that are still a mystery, even to me...**" She looked troubled. "**Carry on.**"

Hesitantly nodding, Elegant took a sip of her tea to quench her dry throat. "In the, um, M-Metaverse, it's the world where the feelings and desires of people become physical, into their own, well, being. They are Shadows, the shadows of people's true selves. They protect their hearts. This," she tapped her mask, "is my...well, Shadow."

Byleth slowly nodded, and Elegant continued, "With this mask, I can go to the Metaverse and fight evil Shadows. I think that's why I can see Sothis-san here. She's not really on this, um, plane of existence, so other people can't see her. I'm not really sure why I can use my power like this..." She frowned. "The Metaverse and the real world are supposed to stay separate, but maybe this world is different. I said it before, but I come from another world. I..." She looked away. "I don't know how I got here, or why. I...when I heard you say I 'shouldn't be here,' I thought you knew something, so..."

Byleth didn't answer, but turned to the spirit. Sothis, in turn, sighed. "**It was rash of me to say something at all, really.**" She looked up with a solemn gaze. "**Judging by your presence, I can feel a residue of the void from you. I...**" She pursed her lips. "**I remember that there are tears in the space of this world, in specific areas. You most likely slipped through a tear in your world, and wound up here.**"

Elegant sat up straighter in her chair. "But why?!" She couldn't help but yell. "I...I wasn't trying to come here! I came here, completely alone and lost with nothing!" She clenched her fists on her lap. "I've been gone for almost two months now. My friends..." She bit her lip to hold back her tears. "They'll think I'm dead by now. I've been gone too long..."

Closing her eyes and feeling her mask fade away, Airi let herself cry. 

It had been so hard, being here. In this strange land that didn't speak her language, filled with people that didn't look like her, and nothing that felt familiar. No technology, no real running water, no electricity. None of the comforts of home.

Her friends.

All she had here were aching hands and a few rags she could call a uniform. She was surrounded by murderers and people who had no problems with killing. Even the one person she truly trusted here had killed before. And the longer she stayed in this world, the more likely it was that she would have to kill as well.

She didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't want to kill. To take the life of another person, to see the light leave their eyes, to know that she was the one who ended their existence. Someone's father, mother, sister, brother, lover, friend.

She didn't know if she could bear it.

A firm hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up through blurry eyes. Byleth held a look of sympathy, softening the harsh marble lines of his face. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. She knew what he was trying to convey.

Sniffling, Airi wiped at her face. "...Thank you," she whispered. "I'm...I'm sorry for burdening you with this, Sensei."

He shook his head. "I understand." He said that with no judgement, no hidden emotions. Just plain and simple understanding.

Airi really appreciated that. 

"You know my secret now," she said shyly. "And I know yours..? With Sothis-san."

He nodded. "I should explain."

She inclined her head. "Please."

"Sothis is a spirit attached to me," he explained quietly. "I don't know why. I've been dreaming of her for a long time, but she's finally awake in the real world now."

"**Rude...talk...without me!**"

With a start, Airi summoned her mask again, and Sothis came into view once more, sporting a scowl on her childish face. "Sorry, Sothis-san."

"**-Sama**," Sothis corrected her.

Elegant felt her brows raise but did not argue. She didn't think she could with a spirit like this. "...Sothis-sama."

"The power you felt earlier..." Byleth mentioned, and Elegant perked up. "With Sothis's power, I can turn back time. A few minutes at most."

Elegant stared at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I must've heard wrong. Did you say time? Like rewinding time?"

He nodded. 

That's...beyond her understanding. She had read time travel novels before, but to actually hear that time manipulation was real, and...and it had happened to her! He had rewound time on her! 

"You turned back time on me," Elegant whispered, feeling vaguely violated.

For once, Byleth glanced away. "You weren't supposed to know. No one else does." He sighed. "I won't use it on you again. Not like before."

She had no power to truly stop him. She could only trust his word on this.

"**We'll keep your secret if you keep ours,**" Sothis declared as she floated next to Byleth. "**Perhaps if we put our minds together, we can solve our problems: Why you're in this world, and why I'm stuck with this one,**" she gestured to Byleth, "**with no memories.**"

Elegant slowly nodded. "It's a deal."

* * *

The next day before class began, Dimitri came up to her wearing a concerned look. "Was everything all right with Professor Byleth? You both left in such a hurry..."

Airi shook her head. "It was fine. Byleth-sensei was able to answer some questions for me, and he, well..." She looked down. "He knows now. I told him."

Dimitri looked taken aback. "Do you mean about your circumstances..?"

She silently nodded.

He pursed his lips before letting out a heavy sigh. "I...That is a good thing, I would assume. Having someone like the professor on our side would undoubtedly help. I..." He looked down, abashed. "It is selfish, but I had thought that I would be the only one who knew this about you. The one person you trusted enough to tell."

He shook his head and chuckled mirthlessly. "It is rather silly now that I have said it. I alone would not be enough to help with your situation..."

Airi couldn't help but feel touched, and she reached out to take his hands in hers. "You will always be my first and dearest friend here, Dimitri," she said softly. "I'm...I'm so glad you talked to me that day in the dining hall. Thank you."

He looked up, eyes clear and cheeks pink. "You are most welcome. You are a dear f-friend as well, Airi."

"I have more to tell you, if you don't mind," Airi made sure to whisper. "It's only right you know."

Dimitri brightened. "I eagerly wait to hear. Perhaps after class?"

"You two are so cozy."

They both looked up to see Sylvain give them a sly and knowing grin. "C'mon, Your Highness, doesn't royal protocol stop you from courting in public like this?"

Dimitri let out a startled noise. "What-?! Courting?! I- Sylvain, that is inappropriate of you to say so crudely!"

"Courting..?" Airi tilted her head. Judging by the heavy blush on the prince's face, it was something intimate. Was it like wanting to date?

Gasping, Dimitri turned back to her, eyes wide and face red. "P-Please, do not mind him! Sylvain has never had much control over what comes out of his mouth."

Airi had to snort. "Yeah, okay, I can believe that."

Sylvain placed a hand over his chest. "Oo, that hurts, Your Highness." He pouted. "I'm just trying to spend some quality time with some beautiful maidens. Is that so wrong?"

Grasping her chin thoughtfully, Airi turned to him. "Sylvain-san, may I ask you something?"

He winked at her. "Anything," he all but purred.

Dimitri glared darkly at him, but Airi couldn't help but laugh. "Haha! Okay, well, I want to ask..." She leaned forward. "You only flirt with girls, right?"

Sylvain raised a brow. "Of course. Men are fine, but they're not to my tastes. The ladies, however..." He smiled. "I'm all about the curves and sweet personalities."

"Hm..." Airi playfully frowned. "That's a little disappointing. I think you would look great with another handsome man."

Sylvain looked taken aback. "O-Oh, really?"

Airi nodded. "Mhmm. Like maybe the orange-haired man from Black Eagles, or even the purple one from Golden Deer. Oo! Maybe Felix-san?"

"What?!" "Huh?!" Came two responses, one from a different person.

Felix came stomping over with a thunderous scowl on his face. "What exactly are you idiots talking about?" He growled.

"Peace, Felix." Dimitri held a hand out to stop him, but the swordsman slapped it away before it could touch his person. 

Airi felt herself redden and looked down. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to make fun. Just, well..." She glanced up shyly. "You're all very handsome men."

The three of them blushed.

"It's just..." She clasped her hands together dreamily. "It would be very, um, nice, if you were romantic with each other."

Whatever flattery they felt at her previous words then wilted and died.

"That's..." Sylvain glanced at the other two young men and grimaced at the thought. "That's not...done, especially between noble families that have crests. Besides, I'm pretty sure we're all interested in women, right?'

Dimitri blushed and looked down rather shyly, while Felix made a disgusted noise and turned away, though his red ears spoke plenty in place of his words.

"Aww, okay..." Airi let out a disappointed sigh. "But, anyway, Sylvain-san, you're a ladies man, right?"

"Of course~." Sylvain winked again, and stepped closer to her. "All ladies deserve my undivided attention."

Airi tilted her head. "So, do you flirt for fun, or are you doing it for sex?"

The three of them balked at her blunt wording. "Uh- I..." Sylvain rubbed the back of his head. "That's a rather private question to ask, don't you think?"

"Hm..." Airi tilted her head. "Maybe, but if you're flirting with women, you know you're creating a bond of interest, right? So, at some point, if the woman likes you enough, they would want to have sex with you. Do you have experience?"

"I..." Sylvain looked at a loss. "Is there a reason you're asking me this?" He smirked, though it looked a little awkward. "Are you interested?"

Airi could hear Dimitri choking from her left. "Hm, not really." She shrugged. "I'm just curious if you're flirting for fun or for sex. Most men where I come from would always aim for sex."

They looked alarmed. "Wait, do you mean..?" Sylvain trailed off.

Airi blinked. "Hm?"

Dimitri suddenly took her hands in his, wearing a horrified look. "Airi, were you...accosted by a man before..?"

Accosted..? Oh!

"No, no, no!" Airi quickly shook her head. "That's not what I mean, I'm sorry!"

The three of them let out a collective sigh of relief.

"That's...good," Felix forced out with a grimace.

"I only mean that where I come from, sex is a very casual thing," Airi explained almost sheepishly. "I didn't know if it was the same here, but from what you're saying, I'm going to guess no. It's all about bloodlines, right?"

Dimitri grimaced. "It is, but it should not be. The idea that crests need to be passed down in their perspective families have created a lot of inbreeding, and upholds a ridiculous idea that those who hold crests are superior to those who do not."

Sylvain let out a derisive noise. "It's the reality of the world we live in, Your Highness," he stated bitterly. "Crests are the only things important, not the people."

Felix turned away with a frown. "Crest or not, it wouldn't stop me from achieving my goals. They're not that important."

Observing their bitter and harsh expressions, Airi wondered if these Crests had done more harm than good in this world. "Um, I'm sorry for bringing it up..."

Sylvain shook his head. "Forget about it. Anyway..." His expression lightened. "Your home sounds pretty interesting. I wonder how many wonderful ladies are waiting for me to sweep them off their feet?"

Airi giggled, and he grinned.

Though he tried not to look interested, Felix still stood close by with his ear turned toward them. "Your home...Does it have a lot of strong adversaries?"

"I think so..?" Airi hummed thoughtfully. "I'm not sure if they'll be a challenge for you, Felix-san. You're very strong."

"Hmph." Felix looked pleased.

Though his face still held a very heavy blush from their inappropriate discussion, Dimitri managed a soft smile for her and his two closest friends. He was glad that Airi was fitting in so well, slotting herself into his life like a seamless puzzle piece.

He gently took one of her hands in his own, and she looked up at him with a smile.

He hoped this would last, just a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The metaverse in P5 Japanese dub is actually just referred to as "isekai" meaning "other world" which is why Airi didn't know the english translation for it


	8. Chapter 8

Airi stared with her jaw dropped, unable to believe her eyes.

Dimitri peered at her from the side, balancing a bundle of hay on one shoulder with ease. "Airi?" He voiced when she had yet to move or say anything. "Are you well?"

She tilted her head toward him, but kept her gaze focused on what was in front of her. "Huh..?" She voiced in a daze.

His concern grew. "Are...you unwell, Airi?"

She slowly shook her head. "...Wakaranai." I don't know.

Dimitri stared at her in disbelief. She hadn't even bothered to look at him, either, when she answered him. 

"...Please, Airi." He placed down the hay and approached her. "You must be truly uncomfortable to be speaking- er, Japanese. Is it our task that has unsettled you? I can show you the correct ways to care for them, and I can also take care of the heavier tasks. They are of no bother to me."

Snapping out of her trance, Airi hurriedly shook her head. "No no no! I'm just- I'm- That's..."

She could barely hold in her glee and amazement as she squealed out, "_there are unicorns and dragons in this world?!_"

Even though she had joined the class a few weeks ago, Airi hadn't ever participated in the class duties due to her work in the kitchens. However, Professor Hanneman had requested her to do them at least once with the others to establish a good work ethic with the whole class, so she had said yes for this week's. 

Since coming to the monastery, she had been mostly confined to the kitchens, the servant's quarters, the market, and recently, the classroom. She had yet to see the cathedral proper where they held sermons and hymns, or the knights headquarters, or the reception hall.

Or the stables.

Which was where they were tasked this week.

And it was where they would care for the horses, _unicorns,_ and _dragons_ that were under the monastery's care. Horses that were pure white with feathered wings and a horn, and dragons that had brown-red scales and membrane wings.

_Unicorns and dragons._

Literal mythical creatures.

In the real world.

Airi could not believe her eyes.

In fact, she had to reach over and tug on Dimitri's sleeve. "Are they...Are they real?" She breathed out, eyes never leaving the animals for fear they would disappear. "Are they really real?"

Gazing down at her with a look of amusement that bled into fondness, Dimitri nodded with a smile. "Yes. They are pegasi and wyverns. Fairly common creatures, though not as common as a steed."

Airi furrowed her brow. "Pega- Pegasai? Wyruvern? Are they not, um..." She struggled to remember the English terms she learned. Her education in Tokyo had covered nonfiction and poetry, not mythology. "Um...One horn, one...one, uni- Oh! Unicorn! And Dragons!" She looked up at him, confused. "No?"

Dimitri struggled not to laugh at the innocence in her expression. "N-No. See, those with feathered wings there-" He pointed at the pegasi, "-that is a pegasus, pegasi for plural. While that-" He then pointed to the wyverns, "-is a wyvern, wyverns for plural. Only women can ride a pegasus, but both genders can ride a wyvern."

Airi was fascinated. "Really? Why only women?"

He sighed. "I will demonstrate." 

Before she could ask him why, Dimitri began to walk toward the nearest pegasus, which was grazing on some fresh hay. It looked calm and at peace, pristine white and almost glowing. 

Until Dimitri stepped close enough.

The pegasus immediately tensed and began to back away from him, whinnying softly as a sign of distress. Despite the fact that Dimitri was showing he meant it no harm, with his nonthreatening stance and his hands held out, the pegasus continued to back away from him without giving him a chance.

He stopped and turned back to Airi with a resigned smile. "You see? They are not very fond of men. No one knows why exactly, though it is speculated through myths that only pure-hearted maidens can approach and tame them." He perked up. "I do not doubt your heart would be pure enough to succeed, if you would like to try to ride one!"

Pure-hearted? Airi tilted her head. "What does it mean to have a pure heart? Like, I haven't killed before? Being a virgin? No dirty mind?"

Dimitri blushed heavily. "I- Uh..." Covering his face with one hand, he looked away shyly. "You- You are rather forward about these topics..." he muttered before awkwardly clearing his throat. "I am not clear on the meaning myself, but perhaps it could allude to the kindness and compassion that only women can show."

Airi frowned. "But..._you're_ kind and compassionate. It was so afraid of you."

"Ah-" He looked genuinely touched by her words. "I thank you for thinking so highly of me, but..." He looked away and his smile faded away. "I suppose they can sense my darker thoughts and it bothers them. Perhaps the pegasi can hear_ their_ voices as well..."

"Their voices?" Airi repeated, confused. "What do you mean?" Was this some sort of saying she didn't understand again?

Dimitri looked uncomfortable and shook his head. "Never mind. In any case..." He gestured to the mounts. "Would you like to try?"

Gasping in excitement, Airi eagerly walked up to a nearby horse.

Unlike the few horses she had seen on Earth, the horses here in Fodlan were sturdier, and their hair was fluffier and curlier, like puffs of clouds. Their ears were much longer and pointier, too, almost like rabbit ears. They came in a variety of colors as well, with white bodies and blond hair, or chestnut bodies with dark hair. There were even some that were like pure ebony.

Walking in front of a pale horse, Airi felt herself stop as she stared up, and up, and_ up_, at the large animal.

It stared back at her with its large black eyes that seemed to look straight through her. It was much, _much_ taller than her, and she felt so much smaller by comparison. If it wanted, it could probably crush her beneath its hooves.

She involuntarily took a step back, and bumped into another person. Gasping, she turned to see it was Ashe, who looked surprised at her as well.

"Oh, Airi! Are you all right?" Ashe inquired kindly. 

Airi shakily nodded her head. "I-I think so. Um, I got a little scared..."

He smiled understandingly. "It's certainly intimidating to be handling animals that are much bigger than us, isn't it." He perked up. "Oh, why don't I show you how to care for them?"

Dimitri interrupted, looking put out, "thank you for your offer, Ashe, but I have already agreed to-"

"Your Highness!" Mercedes called out with her dulcet voice. She was stood in front of a pile of hay, along with Annette. "Would you be so kind as to help me and Annie with the hay? We are not very strong, and would appreciate another hand."

"Ah-" Dimitri looked back and forth between her and Airi, conflicted. "I..."

Taking pity on him, Airi lightly pushed him toward the two girls. "Go, Denka," she said encouragingly. "I think Ashe-kun will be able to show me what to do."

"Leave it to me, Your Highness!" Ashe said determinedly, even going so far as to give him a formal salute.

Dimitri let out a sigh and smiled. "Then I will put my faith in your abilities, Ashe. Please proceed." With that, he went over to help the other members of their class.

Airi's eyes couldn't help but follow him and notice just how much easier it was for him when he demonstrated his vastly superior strength. Hefting up bales of hay on his broad shoulders without any difficulty. How his uniform's stitches could barely hold when he tensed his muscles, to the point where the fabric _strained_ against his arms and chest-

"Airi?" Ashe called out, snapping her out of her trance. "Your nose is bleeding."

Mortified, Airi quickly rubbed at her nose to get rid of the blood. Damn her stupid pervert brain. "I'm okay," she mumbled underneath her hand. "Just, um, Dimitri is very strong."

"Oh yes." Ashe nodded vigorously. "I've heard stories about the Blaiddyd's impressive strength before, but seeing it is another story entirely. His Highness is surely the strongest person alive!"

Airi smiled but said nothing. Despite knowing Dimitri for only a little under a month, he had already proven to her that he was, at his core, a gentle soul. He knew how to fight, and he had...killed before. Yet, he always spoke of it with such regret during the few times she had ever willingly broached the subject.

Dimitri was strong, certainly, but physical prowess did not mean mental or emotional strength, and Airi was pretty sure there was no such thing as therapy here, or even a term for PTSD.

At the very least, she hoped that she could be a safe space.

"Anyway, let's proceed with the horses first!" Ashe said chipperly, and headed toward the very same horse that Airi had backed away from. "The first thing you should do is make sure they have an adequate amount of feed and water. We want to replace the water every day so that it's clean and fresh."

He demonstrated by leading the horse toward one of the troughs, where it began sipping at the water by itself.

"Then, we have to shovel all the droppings into the bucket so it can be used as fertilizer by the greenhouse," he continued, never losing that perkiness in his voice. "Of course, we have to make sure to separate horse droppings from pegasi and wyvern droppings since they have different properties to them."

Airi felt her brows raise as she looked on at the droppings with distaste. The smell was not something she wanted to comment on. "...Really," she tried to say with some kind of enthusiasm.

Ashe, noticing her reluctance, laughed. "Yeah, it's not exactly the greatest part of taking care of animals, but it's rewarding to make sure they're clean and happy. They'll repay you back on the battlefields."

Airi bit her lip and gazed at the horse. These magnificent and beautiful animals had to go out to battle, too? Would they outlive their riders, or did they die with them? 

Why did _everyone_ and _everything_ have to fight...

"Here!" Ashe handed her a brush. "Make sure to brush them from top to bottom with gentle strokes, like this." He demonstrated with a steady hand. The horse snorted happily and shimmied in place. "They all have their own spots that they like being brushed. We'll also have to make sure their hooves are clean and trimmed."

"You know a lot about taking care of horses," Airi remarked as she looked on attentively. "Have you always taken care of them?"

Ashe shook his head. "No. Actually, I..." He looked away bashfully. "I used to be a thief."

Airi leaned in closer. "Really?" She asked, surprised. "Can I guess: was it for your family?"

Stunned, Ashe looked up at her. "Y-Yeah. How did you know?"

"You don't look mean enough to do it for fun. I did the same thing, too." Airi shrugged with an apologetic smile. "Desperate times, right? There's no shame in doing it so long as no one gets hurt. Since you're here, you must've stopped, right?"

"Yeah." Ashe slowly smiled, relieved that another person understood. "I have two younger siblings, and after our parents passed away, I couldn't..." He looked down. "I couldn't support my siblings with the money I earned from working, so I had to resort to stealing. It's not a part of me that I'm proud of..."

Airi shook her head. "Don't think about it like that. Stealing is bad, yes, but your circumstances meant you had no other choice. If the result is either you feeling guilt or you and your siblings starving to death, then take that guilt to motivate you. You can always pay people back later if you're alive. You can't do that if you're dead."

"I..." Ashe looked dumbfounded. "I never thought of it like that. I'm always so focused on the fact that I had to do such unscrupulous things..." He smiled. "But, it was always worth it when I saw their faces light up at the sight of food."

"See?" Airi smiled as well. "It's not all bad. I can understand doing whatever it takes for family."

"Do you have siblings as well, Airi?" Ashe asked, curious. "You said you did the same thing, so..."

Busying herself with brushing down the equine, Airi didn't meet his gaze. "No blood siblings, but when my parents died, I was sent...somewhere. _An institution_. I don't know the word in your language, but it's where you send children with no family."

"An orphanage, perhaps? Or a church?"

Airi slowly nodded. "Yes...The adults said they worshiped God, but I knew they were only using it as an excuse..." 

Kind of like this monastery, actually.

She still didn't trust it, just like her old institution. The one with the matron that smashed her cello and the priest that had killed her best friend and who knew how many others-

Organized religion, one that dictated the lives of others, was never a good sign, but sometimes, even she could be fooled.

She had seen the orphans in the dining hall before. Dressed in simple but clean clothes, they looked like they were well taken care of here. Some of them held faces of sorrow, but that wasn't too alarming after losing their families. Yet, she couldn't help but watch them, just to make sure.

That they were treated well for the sake of nurture, and not for appearance's sake.

Ashe frowned. "I'm sorry. Though I am not the most devout person, I_ do _believe in the Goddess, and to hear others misusing their power of faith is horrible."

Airi inclined her head. "Thank you. It wasn't a good time for anyone. After I left, I wasn't old enough to find a job, and most of the other kids were even younger, so stealing was what some of us did. We never hurt anyone, and we never took more than needed."

"That's understandable," Ashe said softly. "Thank you for confiding in me, Airi. I feel like we have a lot in common."

She smiled back. "Thank you for confiding in me as well. You're..." She looked down at the brush in her hand. "This land is very different from my home, but people are still people, no matter where. We love and hate and we cry and laugh..."

While she would love nothing more than to return to Tokyo where her friends were, where her livelihood was, and to leave this place without a single glance back...

She already knew it was too late.

She was so lonely, and couldn't help but get attached. 

If..._When_ she left, it would be in tears.

A slimy and warm appendage suddenly licked her cheek and Airi squealed, hand flying up to her face. "_What the fuck-!_"

The horse snorted softly in her face, even going so far as to nudge her with its wet nose, and she whimpered away. "Ew ew ew ew..." She desperately wiped off her face, but there was no running water or antibacterial soap, and she felt disgusting. "Uuuuugh..."

Ashe burst out laughing, though he tried to cover it with his sleeve. "I-I think he sensed your sadness and tried to cheer you up!"

Looking up at the horse, which stared back at her with one eye, Airi forced a smile. "Th-Thank you..?"

It snorted at her.

"I think he's trying to tell us that we should stop bothering him," Ashe suggested, patting his hands to rid any dirt. "Why don't we move to a pegasus? You'll have to care for it yourself, though. They don't-"

"-Like men," Airi finished. "Right."

Picking up a bucket of water and brush, Airi slowly and awkwardly meandered out of the pen and toward the one that held the pegasi. Mercedes, Annette, and Ingrid were already taking care of a few, while Dimitri, Dedue, Felix, and Sylvain were tending to the wyverns.

It made her wonder: how would a pegasus treat someone who was transgender? Were they only comfortable with females, or someone feminine? Why would pegasi be so picky about its riders when wyverns didn't care? Was it a hormone thing? She was sure there were some women in this world that were definitely not 'kind' nor 'compassionate,' so what was a pegasus's standards?

This world was so strange sometimes.

An unattended pegasus looked up from its grazing and peered at her. Putting down her bucket, Airi bowed low while keeping eye contact, like Harry Potter did in the films.

It blinked, like it was surprised at her manners. It slowly walked up to her, and flapping its beautiful feathered wings for a bit, it bowed to her as well, and she felt so honored by its response.

There really was something magical about pegasi, almost fantastical.

"Oh, wow!" Mercedes watched with a delighted expression. "I have never seen anyone bow to them before, and to receive a bow back. What a beautiful exchange!"

"I thought it was appropriate," Airi murmured shyly. "It looks too smart and beautiful to not bow to."

"Understandable," Mercedes replied with a smile. "Would you like me to show you how to care for them?"

Airi bowed. "Please."

Dimitri looked up from where he was feeding a wyvern some meat, and smiled exuberantly when he noticed that not just one pegasus approached their newest classmate, but several more went up to her, nudging her hand for pets and treats.

He knew they would love her. 

* * *

When their task was finally over, Annette suggested they all go to the baths together. "We can wash off all the dirt and sweat, and then relax in the sauna!"

Airi perked up. "Sauna? Like an _onsen_?" Oh, just the thought of something clean and relaxing felt like a dream come true.

"Onsen?" Mercedes asked. "What is that?"

"A hot spring!" Airi answered, getting excited at the thought. "It's like a bath, but the water has healing properties. Good for your skin, hair, and muscles!" She then sighed. "I miss going to them."

"Oh, those." Sylvain rested his hands behind his head. "You know, Faerghus has a bunch of them. The land's real cold and covered in snow most days of the year, but we have naturally occurring hot springs throughout the land."

"That is correct, Sylvain. I am surprised you would be so informative," Ingrid remarked dryly. "However, most of them are unsafe to bathe in, so one must be careful when planning to take a dip."

Felix made a derisive noise. "You make it sound as if they'll dissolve you if you touch them. The only danger they present are some burns if your skin is sensitive."

Airi observed them all. "You all know so much about Faerghus..."

Felix sent her an odd glance. "Of course we would. Other than the dog-" he referred to Dedue, who watched on impassively, "-we're all from Faerghus."

She frowned at him. "Felix-san, that is very rude of you to say."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "It doesn't make it any less true," he shot back.

Airi continued to give him her best look of disappointment, the one that always made Ryuji bow his head in defeat and Morgana to guiltily rub his paws together. Whatever he may think of Dedue-san, it was definitely rude and unwarranted to call him a dog, especially in his presence.

Felix matched her look with a frown of his own, but as the seconds ticked by, his eye began to twitch, along with his mouth, and he looked away. "Hmph." He was almost pouting with the way he was scowling.

Sylvain snickered. "Wow, Felix being beaten? Not something you see every day."

The swordsman rolled his eyes and began walking faster to get away from them all, even going so far as to bump the playboy with his shoulder.

Airi's expression smoothed back into a smile. "I always win. That look is my ace."

"You did not have to interfere," Dedue's deep voice rumbled behind her, "His comments do not affect me."

"Still," Airi said resolutely. "He shouldn't treat you like that. I know people may say things..." Her eyes wandered over to Ingrid, who was adamantly looking away from their direction. "But the people who matter will not say things like that. If they do say things like that, they don't matter."

Dedue gazed down at her, and slowly nodded.

Airi smiled in response before turning back to the original topic at hand. "All Blue Lions are from Faerghus, and all Golden Deer are from Leicester? And Black Eagles from the Empire...Doesn't the academy promote inter-house stuff?"

"Occasionally," Dimitri answered from her side. He held a look of pride and warmth at her handling of the situation. "We have the Battle of the Lion and Eagle, and the Heron Cup Competition. We may also be sent on missions together, if the task is daunting enough."

Her smile disappeared, replaced with an apprehensive frown. "When...When are tasks given?"

The Faerghus natives exchanged glances. "...It should be soon," Annette answered for them. "Missions are always at the beginning of each new month. Our last one had us rout out some bandits in a nearby town. You joined a few days later, so you didn't have to participate in it."

Airi looked down. "Oh."

That would mean she would have to go into battle soon. She would have to fight.

Warm hands grasped hers, and she looked up to see a kind and understanding gaze. "It's all right," Mercedes said softly. "You would not be alone. You have all of us, and as friends, we will look out for each other."

Ingrid nodded in agreement. "No matter what, we shall always defend our own first and foremost."

"I could never let such a beautiful rose like you get hurt," Sylvain added with an easygoing grin. Despite his expression, his words were serious. "The mission wouldn't matter if we're not going to make it back. You just sit tight and act as support with Mercie."

Felix rolled his eyes. "Listen to them," he said curtly. "Don't underestimate our capabilities."

"That is correct." Dimitri nodded. "I know you are unfamiliar with battles like ours, but please, trust in us to protect you, and we will trust in you to protect us in return." He sounded so confident and charismatic too. "Nothing will happen to you so long as I draw breath."

"As His Highness's retainer, I too shall uphold our duty as classmates and allies," Dedue confirmed quietly but surely.

Ashe placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you're long ranged like me, Mercedes, and Annette, we can stick together as the backup."

"And I'll blow anyone who comes near into smithereens!" Annette chimed in with a confident smile.

Airi withheld her wince, and did her best to smile. "...Thank you, everyone." She bowed low to her waist. "I will do my best for you all."

To hear her new friends say such thoughtful things to her, like protecting her in battle, and even making sure she would stay sheltered from any of the actual violence...It was so kind of them. 

But she was a burden now.

If they were too busy looking out for her, their focus wouldn't be a hundred percent on their enemies, and they could get hurt, or worse. She would never want any of them to be hurt because of her. Akira had always said she needed to be more careful with her own safety, but how could she be when people were willing to lay down their lives for her? Shouldn't she do the same?

She should.

Airi closed her eyes. If it came down to it...If it was between one of them, and the enemy...

She knew what she would do.

Even if that meant she would hate herself afterward.


	9. Chapter 9

"Have you read up on the spell?" Hanneman inquired during class.

Airi took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, Sensei."

She wasn't lying; she did read up on the spell as best she could. Even after two months here in this world, she still had trouble with the language, whether it was reading or writing. She had gotten better at both, but Japanese would always be more comfortable for her.

The spell didn't quite make sense, either. She had asked Annette for clarification since the peppy girl had told her she used to attend a magic academy. Annette obliged and did her best to explain, but it didn't seem to help much, and so she provided an example.

She had then spun in place, waved her hands, and a magic circle appeared underneath her. Then the spell came out of her hands and toward the dummy, and that was it.

Mercedes then showed up with a nice pot of tea, and they both took turns trying to teach her.

Magic, it seemed, all relied on the caster's thought and intent. There was no incantation, or any specific hand motions. The magic circle part confused Airi, but apparently it was just part of the spell itself, and came in many different shapes and forms depending on the type and element.

No wands or staffs were needed, though mages apparently did wear long impractical robes. It seemed those fantasy stories she read back in Tokyo had some truth to them, at least.

"Then please, demonstrate what you have learned so far." The older gentleman gestured toward the middle of the room.

Swallowing nervously, Airi stood up from her desk. As she walked past, Dimitri grazed his hand against her arm, silently letting her know she had his support. The rest of the class watched on as well, interested in the capabilities of their classmate.

She stopped in the middle of the room and turned toward the hard wall. She assessed her surroundings, making sure no one was close enough that if she somehow fucked up, they wouldn't get hurt. 

"Whenever you're ready," Hanneman said softly.

Airi nodded. 

Thought and will.

The two things that any Persona user were intimately familiar with.

Taking a deep breath, she reached deep inside herself; not Jeanne who was the armor of her soul, but the core of herself that wanted, _needed_ to make this spell reality. Lucky for her, she didn't need to do much work.

Bringing up her hands, the floor underneath her glowed with a mysterious symbol as fire erupted from her hands and hit the stone wall. It wasn't a great size, more of a volleyball than the basketball she was hoping for, but the fact that she was actually able to produce a fire spell surprised her, and she stared at the somewhat scorch spot with wide eyes. 

"_I did it_," she whispered to herself. She shouldn't be surprised but fuck it, she was allowed to be. 

Annette was the first to start clapping. "Amazing, Airi!" She cheered. "I knew you could do it!"

"Good job!" Ashe cheered right alongside her.

"Congratulations," Mercedes said with a beaming smile on her soft features. "It has only been a fortnight as well. I think your skill in magic will grow exponentially."

"I concur," Hanneman said with a pleased expression. "Excellent work, miss Airi. The fireball could have been larger, but for your first attempt, it was prodigious."

Airi could feel her face heat up from their compliments and ducked her head to hide her embarrassment. "Th-Thank you. That's all I've learned so far, though. I think I should try for more."

The professor shook his head. "Patience. You are allowed to take the time to be proud of yourself. Learning too many things in a short amount of time will lead to sloppy technique and an exhausted mind. Pace yourself."

She nodded, taking his advice to heart, and returned to her seat. 

Dimitri gave her a truly heart-stopping smile. "That was amazing, Airi. Magic came to you as easily as breathing."

Airi smiled awkwardly, trying to ignore the loud thumping in her chest. "I-I wouldn't say that. I'm still not really sure how magic actually works here. I need to do more reading and practicing."

"Well, I am confident that you will succeed," he replied, beaming.

At this point, professor Hanneman had written down several things on the chalkboard. "Now, since miss Airi has shown us a wonderful demonstration of the black magic spell 'fire,' these are a few other spells one could learn without much difficulty. That is to say, for those with a talent and motivation to put in the time to learn these spells. Magic in general is separated into three categories: light magic, black magic, and dark magic. Though black magic and dark magic may sound similar, dark magic is inherently different. Can anyone explain why?"

"Oh!" Annette furiously waved her hand in the air. "Black magic is destructive but isn't inherently terrible, while dark magic is meant specifically to harm."

"Correct!" Hanneman applauded her. "Dark magic is only ever performed on living creatures, and do not affect its environments unlike black magic. Light magic is meant to heal, but just as too much sun can be harmful, so too can light magic. Certain spells like nosferatu and abraxas are intense beams of light so powerful that they can harm several enemies."

Airi perked up. Could they be like her kou spells? Perhaps she could go research them in the library later, or ask Hanneman-sensei for help. It would be nice to be able to use bless skills again, even though these were different from the ones she could cast with Jeanne at her side.

The far-reaching sound of the monastery bells caused them all to pause, and for the professor to huff. "It seems class is over for the day. Make sure to read up on the material for next week where we will begin practical lessons."

"Finally," Felix muttered from his desk. 

Before Airi could catch the professor, he had already left the classroom, presumably for his office. She deflated and sighed, but stood up anyway and followed her classmates outside. 

The Blue Lions weren't the only ones leaving, either. Both the Black Eagles and Golden Deer had emerged from their classrooms, chatting with each other, and some of them even yawning from being woken up from their naps.

All three classes paused and greeted one another.

Curious, Airi watched the three house leaders chat: Claude, the easygoing archer who keeps his thoughts hidden behind a vapid smile. Dimitri, the upstanding and noble prince with inhuman strength. Last but not least, Edelgard, the imperial princess that was as beautiful as she was calculative.

She felt like she was watching the precipice of the world's future in front of her. It was daunting to realize that she was standing in the presence of a future alliance leader, king, and emperor.

"So you're the 'cousin' that Claude pointed out!"

Surprised, Airi turned around to see another pink-haired girl smiling at her. Her pink was a slightly darker shade, and was held in high pigtails that fell straight down. Her eyes were strangely the same color, giving her face a baby doll expression.

The girl peered closer at her. "Hmm...I can see the resemblance." She leaned away and smiled. "I'm Hilda Valentine Goneril. It's nice to meet you, 'cousin!'"

Airi giggled, and then bowed. "Hello, Hiruda-san. I'm Airi Kimisawa. Is pink hair a family trait for you?"

"It is!" Hilda nodded. "My father has it, and so does my brother. Of course, it looks better on me than on them," she preened, running one hand through a pigtail. "How about you? I've never seen anyone else with our hair; maybe we really _are_ related!"

Amused, Airi shook her head. "I don't think so." There was no way she had any relation to anyone in this place. "I'm the only one with pink hair in my family. I'm not adopted, either."

"I see..." Hilda looked disappointed for a moment, but her expression brightened again. "Well, even if we're not related, that doesn't mean we can't be friends! Do you like dressing up, or doing anything relaxing?"

Dressing up? "Do you mean like, fancy dresses and makeup?" Airi questioned. "I do like to do them, but..." She awkwardly gestured to herself. "I don't, um...have much money here."

"That's all right!" Hilda beamed. "I have plenty of dresses you would look great in! It'll be so fun to have more girls to spend time with!" She sighed and rocked back and forth in a pouty manner. "All the boys care about waving their weapons around and looking strong, and some of the girls too, like Leonie. I'd rather we relax, drink some tea, and doll ourselves up."

Airi covered her snort at the thought of the boys waving their 'weapons.' The mental image was certainly...invigorating. "I would like that very much, actually, but I don't have much free time," she said apologetically, "I work in the kitchens when I'm not in class."

"Aww..." Hilda pouted. "Well, we'll find a free day for ourselves someday. I'm going to leave for a nap before Claude asks me to do anything. Bye!" With a wave, she skipped away in the direction of the dormitory.

Airi waved back, then turned to observe some of the other students. It was such a barrage of ridiculous hair and eye colors, but then again, she couldn't speak. She winced when she saw a young man from Golden Deer. Oh no, that haircut...Was that meant to be fashionable? She hoped not. It wasn't very...flattering. At all.

"Are you free?" Felix came up behind her with his arms crossed. "We should train."

Airi looked up at him, surprised. "With weapons or magic?"

He frowned. "Both. You need the practice if you're joining our next mission. I refuse to see you falter at the sight of enemies just because you're too softhearted or too slow."

That was blunt, but it was what Airi was coming to realize was Felix's way of showing care. He wasn't going to be soft or gentle to spare her feelings; he would rather say hurtful things to make sure she would survive.

Airi smiled softly. "Okay. Let me go to the library first to get some more books on magic. I..." She looked down at her hands. "I want to be able to help you guys. I know I'll be a burden out there no matter what because you guys have more experience, but I should be able to pull my weight better."

Felix nodded approvingly. "Good. Let's go then."

"Huh? You're coming with me?"

"There's no point in waiting around for you." He gestured for her to follow him. "Let's go."

Nodding, Airi made to follow him through the crowd of students. While the swordsman was able to make his way through without a problem-- likely due to his unwelcoming expression--, she had more difficulty.

"Excuse me, excuse me..." Airi murmured as she barely avoided colliding with someone. 

"Oh hey, you're that new student in the Blue Lions!"

She felt her heart skip with hope at the voice. It wasn't so much the sound of it, but the way they spoke, the enunciation, the brash undertone--

"Ryuji?" Airi breathed out as she lifted her gaze, only to feel a disappointment that threatened to crush her soul.

Instead of bleached blond locks, they were light blue. Instead of warm brown eyes, they were once again blue. She was coming to hate that color, even though she knew it was irrational and it wasn't his fault that he wasn't...He wasn't who she wanted it to be.

"Huh?" The boy lifted a brow. "Is that a name? Uh, I think you have me confused for someone else. My name is Caspar von Bergliez."

Biting her lip, Airi looked away. "...Yeah," she whispered, "You're...You're not him. I'm sorry."

There were so many similarities, though. The way they frowned, they way they spoke, even the way they styled their hair. If Caspar-san here slouched a little, and shoved his hands in his pockets in a classic rebellious manner, she would've thought they could've been twins.

But Caspar-san didn't speak Japanese. He spoke English. His last name wasn't Sakamoto. It was von Bergliez. This wasn't Tokyo. This was Garreg Mach.

He wasn't Ryuji.

Even though she knew there was no way any of her friends were here, for a second she had actually dared to think-- dared to _hope_\-- that she wasn't alone here. That someone who understood her for her was here. Not the strange kitchen worker from a distant land, but the teenager from Tokyo.

She could feel her eyes begin to sting, so she quickly bowed to Caspar and walked away as fast as possible without actually running away.

"Uh, hey wait..!" She heard Caspar call out from behind her, baffled.

She passed by Felix who watched her with a look of unease, and when she turned the corner into the hallway that housed the staircase leading up to the second floor, she stopped and wiped her eyes.

"_Stop it_..." Airi whispered to herself, "_There's no point in tears right now. Stop it_..." 

Despite her mantra, she could see more tears blurring her vision, and she hid her face within her palms.

Fucking damn it all.

"Hey."

Gasping, Airi turned around and saw it was Felix. His eyes widened at the sight of her tears and he took a step closer, frowning all the while.

"What happened?" He demanded.

Quickly wiping her face with her sleeve, Airi turned away, embarrassed. "N-Nothing. Sorry..."

She heard him sigh with irritation. "If it was truly nothing, I wouldn't have found you crying. Was it Caspar?" She heard him step even closer. "Did he say something to you?"

Airi silently shook her head. 

"...Here."

Confused, she slowly glanced back at him, and saw a handkerchief being held out to her. It was a plain piece of cloth with barely anything worth mentioning about, except for the exquisite stitching and cleanliness. Despite being so plain and simple, it was clearly well taken care of.

She looked up at him, quizzical. Felix's frown deepened and he shoved the handkerchief harder in her direction. Slowly taking it as if she was afraid he would rescind his offer, Airi picked it up and dabbed at her eyes.

"...Thank you," she murmured, holding the used handkerchief close to her heart.

Of all the things he could've done in response, blushing was the farthest from her expectations, and yet there it was. It was just a faint hue of red against his fair skin, not all that noticeable, but it was there. 

He looked away, clearly uncomfortable. "...Don't mention it. If you're done being pathetic, we should get going."

Airi weakly huffed out a sound of amusement. What a tsundere. "You speak harshly, but you have a gentleman's heart," she remarked softly. "You're a good man, Felix-san."

To her delight, his blush became even redder. "B-Be quiet!" He scowled. "And stop calling me with a '-san.' It means nothing to me."

"Felix, then." Airi smiled, and found that the action was quite genuine. 

She had to remind herself that she wasn't really alone here, no matter how hard it was.

* * *

The grand library of Garreg Mach supposedly held over five thousand books, and it looked like it did as well.

Rows and rows of bookshelves lined the walls, leaving no inch exposed. Several desks were placed in the middle of the room for studying students and scholars, and staircases that led up to a second floor, fill with even more knowledge. In the middle of the library was an enormous globe, depicting the world as it was currently known. The smell that permeated the entire library was of old parchment and musty pages, yet everything was well taken care of.

Even though it wasn't her first time coming here, the sight left her breathless once more. 

"You're easily impressed by things," Felix remarked with crossed arms.

"My old school didn't have a library as beautiful as this one," Airi explained, "and any libraries that did look like this were far away." 

Deciding to go on ahead, Airi searched the shelves for tomes containing information about magic. The ones with historical and recreational information were here on the first level for any visitors it seemed, so it meant that anything more useful would be upstairs.

Heading up the stairs, she looked around. There were a few people around that she recognized as the librarians, what with their long white robes and hoods. 

She began searching for the section on light magic, specifically anything related to healing. 

Light Magic Theory

The Compendium of Light and Dark

The Magic of Seiros

Phantasmagorical Ideology

A lot of these words were unknown to her, and it was difficult to filter through what she needed and what she didn't.

Airi sighed. Maybe Felix-san-- er, Felix had an idea? Then again, he seemed to favor the sword...

A book was then held out to her, and she blinked.

Looking up, she was surprised to see the imperial princess herself. Silvery blonde hair flowed to her mid-back, parted away from her face to show light purple eyes. She was quite petite, as her red cape signifying her as the leader of the Black Eagles emphasized, but held herself with a confidence that most girls wouldn't.

"Here, this will be able to help you," Edelgard said with a muted smile.

Taking the book, Airi bowed. "Thank you, Ederugado-san."

Edelgard raised a brow. "My, what a _fascinating_ accent. It seems my theory was correct: you are a foreigner like our dear Petra. Where might you hail from?"

Airi blinked. "Um...Far away."

She received an unamused smile. "How specific," Edelgard remarked without an ounce of sarcasm. "To my understanding, Dimitri himself had requested you join his house. Even Claude of all people had nothing but good words for you. Within the span of a month, you have already settled into the Blue Lions and endeared yourself to two house leaders, yet you have yet to do the same with me. I can not help but be curious as to why?"

Airi stared at her, bemused. She had done that? It wasn't her intention, though. Dimitri had approached her first, and she had an understanding with Claude, bonding over their unspoken status as outsiders. She hadn't meant for any of this to happen.

She opened her mouth. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Edelgard-san, but I don't mean to insult you. Dimitri was the one to speak with me first, and when Claude came to speak to him, he also spoke to me. I don't think I should be able to be so friendly with royalty, and I didn't want to bother you." She bowed low to the waist, holding the book to her chest.

Edelgard hummed. "I see. In that case, let us remedy that, shall we?" With one hand in front of her waist, she bowed. "I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, future emperor to the Adrestian Empire. A pleasure to meet you, Airi."

Airi couldn't help but notice that she did not add in a 'miss' like Dimitri and Claude had. "It's nice to meet you, Edelgard-san, and thank you for the book."

"Of course. I hope it helps you with your upcoming mission." Edelgard looked around for a moment. "Are you not with anyone right now? Dimitri, perhaps? I have noticed that recently, he is almost always in your presence."

"Um--"

"She's here with _me_," Felix answered for her in a curt manner, appearing from the stairs. He narrowed his eyes. "Strange to see you around these parts, Edelgard, and without your loyal dog as well."

Edelgard gave him a lipless smile. "Felix. What a surprise to see you here of all people. Well then, since it seems my presence is unwanted, I shall take my leave." She turned back to Airi and inclined her head. "Good day, Airi. May we speak another time."

Airi nodded with a small smile. "Of-Of course."

As Edelgard walked past for the stairs, Felix followed her with gaze and frowned. Once she disappeared from the vicinity, he walked closer to Airi. "Make sure not to stay in her presence for long," he said quietly, "she's up to something."

"Is she?" Airi said worriedly, "but she's a house leader..."

He rolled his eyes. "That means less than you think." He eyed the book in her arms. "If you have what you need, we should leave. Time is wasting."

Airi nodded absentmindedly. "Right..."

What could Edelgard-san want with her? She was nobody. Hell, she was less than nobody in these lands. She technically didn't exist here. Could the imperial princess simply be sating her curiosity with the new student? Was it really because she felt slighted that both Dimitri and Claude knew her and she did not? How did she know to give her a book?

In fact...

She looked down at the tome. 'The Healing Hand.' 

Exactly what she needed.

Airi sighed. It seemed like she was doing a lot of sighing lately, and all due to the fact that she couldn't understand anyone's motive here. 

As they headed down the staircase and toward the doors, a noise caught her attention. It was so faint that she doubted anyone else picked it up, but for some reason, she did.

It sounded...familiar.

Furrowing her brow, she looked around and saw one lone librarian. He was an elder man, stooped with a cane to support his fragile body. The heavy white robes on him only emphasized his elderly and wise image.

He saw her looking at him and gave her a kind smile, which she responded with her own.

"Come on," Felix called out to her impatiently from the doors.

"Coming!" Airi hurried to catch up with him.

The noise almost reminded her of a recording device-- faint and almost inaudible beeping-- but it was likely her tired and stressed out mind playing tricks on her.

After all, why would there be technology here in Fodlan?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been focusing a lot on Dimitri's romance, so I felt Felix needed the spotlight for once. I love this tsun-tsun hehe.
> 
> \--  
I hope everyone is staying safe. Please make sure to be as clean as you can be, and be conscientious of other people, especially the elderly and the immunocompromised. Staying healthy and clean indoors is the best for everyone right now. My heart goes out to everyone affected.


	10. Chapter 10

Gathered inside the classroom, Airi observed her friends while nervously wringing her hands together.

Annette and Mercedes were poring over several tomes next to her, trying to brush up on any knowledge they might need. Felix and Ingrid were maintaining their swords with an oiled cloth, murmuring quietly to each other about the upkeep and other things that escaped her understanding. Ashe was fiddling with his bow string while Sylvain was tapping away on his thigh. Dedue was ever watchful behind Dimitri, who stood tall and strong in the middle of the room, facing the door with a muted expression.

There was no visible change, but there was something in the air. Something charged-- anticipation, like Morgana ready to pounce on the feathery toy she would dangle in front of him.

They were expecting orders today.

"D-" Airi cleared her throat, embarrassed that it cracked. "Do we know what it can be?" She asked quietly, "Like, what are the missions usually about?"

Ingrid sat next to her, sword held in a well-practiced grip. "They can be anything the archbishop decides," she answered just as quietly. "I have heard from other students that the Black Eagles have been sent to deal with bandits this month, and Golden Deer are to answer a message about sightings of a demonic beast near a village."

Airi turned to her in surprise. "'Demonic beast'? Like a demon?" 

"A demonic beast is exactly what it sounds like," Felix answered shortly, taking a seat on her other side. He didn't look in her direction, however, preferring to face away despite how close they were. "They're large brutes and have a tough exterior, but past that, they're not too difficult to kill."

Airi glanced at him, and then down where she could see and feel the starched cotton of his trousers brushing against her thin stockings. 

Something had changed in the way he treated her. Ever since he had given her his handkerchief-- which she had cleaned the day after and tried to return it, only to have it rejected, so she now kept it in her uniform pocket-- he had been...softer? Less hostile, at least. It was very strange, this hot and cold treatment he had for her. 

Maybe he felt bad for her; seeing the foreign girl crying about being away from home.

She had yet to tell anyone else except for Dimitri and Byleth-sensei--and by extension, Sothis-sama -- her origins. The other Blue Lions only knew she was from a different region. For some reason, Ingrid-san had been convinced she was of either Albinean or Dagdan ethnicity, and Airi was fine with letting her spread that belief to the rest of the class.

It wasn't like she could tell them nonchalantly that 'hey, I'm from another world that's hundreds of years more advanced in technology and all of this is really barbaric and dirty, but at least everyone's very good looking'?

"Do not worry, Airi," Mercedes decided to chime in with her soft voice, "you have become very efficient with casting. I am sure you will fair well with us."

Airi turned to give her a weak smile. "I only learned Fire, Sagittae, and Heal. That's not much..."

Annette shook her head. "Knowing more spells doesn't mean anything if you don't understand how to use them efficiently. You've been practicing those three a lot, so I'm sure you can blow any opposition away!"

"Take a weapon with you, if you're so concerned," Felix added once again, "Either a sword or a spear, since those are the two I've seen you use with any sort of skill."

That's right. They had had several more training sessions together, only lasting about an hour or so each since she had her duties in the kitchen. In fact, everyone in the class had ended up helping her somehow.

Ingrid had become another sparring partner with swords. Ashe had given her rudimentary bow lessons. Dedue had taught her balance and physical fortification.

Dimitri had been dismayed when he found out, but after she convinced him she needed to learn, and after he and Felix had another shouting match which was deescalated by her and Ingrid, Dimitri gave her his blessings and began teaching her as well. Even Sylvain himself had stopped his playboy ways for a while to tell her how to defend herself from lances and axes.

Of course, he did that with some rather...hands on tactics.

_"S-Sylvain!" Dimitri choked out with a red face when he saw the Gautier heir place his hands on Airi's hips. "Take your hands off her this instant!"_

_Airi held a look of mild amusement, but stayed silent about the hands on her person._

_Sylvain looked up with an innocent face. "Huh? But I'm teaching her how best to angle herself to absorb the force of an axe. See?" To emphasize his point, he gently turned her to the right so that her left leg was bent down and her right leg was placed behind. "This way, she wouldn't stumble."_

_"Be that as it may, your handling of her person is inappropriate and certainly unwelcome--"_

_Airi withheld a sigh as the two began a back-and-forth debate about proper forms or something. The technicalities kinda flew over her head, if she was being honest. Something about force and the weak spot of a weapon and where the most impact would happen when attacked by said weapon._

_Maybe she could call them combat nerds._

_She squeaked when the hands on her hips suddenly squeezed. "S-Sylvain-san!" She looked up at him with what she was sure was a very red face, only to see him grin innocently._

_Suddenly, a flash of blue came in between them, which Airi identified a second later to be Dimitri's cape. She took a step back on unsteady legs, and found herself cradled in his arms. _

_His very strong and capable arms. Against his firm chest. She could even smell the faint scent of the chamomile tea and bath he had had this morning._

_Her face was probably steaming at this point._

_"Sylvain!" Dimitri had entered full lecture mode, as heard in the sheer disapproval and disappointment in his voice. "I understand you make it a game to flirt with any lady you see, and I have allowed you to flaunt yourself rather carelessly in the past, but to act in such a way with Airi, our friend and classmate? In the training grounds? It is beyond inappropriate--"_

_"Aw, c'mon Your Highness, I know and she knows it's all fun and games--"_

_"Fun or not, I have never seen you lay a hand on a woman, and so indecently as to touch her- her..." Dimitri couldn't even finish his sentence without becoming embarrassed._

_Sylvain slowly raised his brows. "But...you're holding her right now, and rather indecently according to your standards," he pointed out."Kinda hypocritical isn't it?"_

_Taken aback, Dimitri slowly looked down to see a shy red gaze, along with rosy cheeks. He then lowered his gaze to his arms, which were wrapped tightly and securely around her, having done it without thinking._

_His face bloomed with color and he quickly untangled his arms, though there was a bit of reluctance in his actions, and he bowed to his waist. "M-My apologies!"_

_Coughing delicately, Airi did her best to smile and shrug. "It- It's okay. You were being protective. I don't mind touching."_

_At least, not by strong handsome men like them. Goodness gracious, her life was such a shoujo anime. If Futaba were here, she'd say she was a protagonist in a reverse harem _ _otome _ _game._

_"Why is it," Felix's voice echoed in the chamber, and they all turned to see him give them an unimpressed look with crossed arms, "that every time you're here to train, you get sidetracked by one of these buffoons." He directed his statement to her specifically._

_Airi couldn't help but pout. "It's not my fault, y'know."_

_"I do know," Felix replied with a long suffering sigh. "Sylvain, get out."_

_"Wha-" Sylvain looked at him in disbelief. "Why just me?! I didn't do anything-"_

_"Ingrid was right behind me."_

_"Going," came Sylvain's quick reply as he gave them a jerky wave before dodging out of the training grounds._

_"And you, boar," Felix said next, turning to Dimitri with a scowl, "you coddling her isn't going to help her survive out there. With how much you hover, I'm surprised you haven't wrapped her in blankets yet."_

_Dimitiri frowned. "That accusation is unnecessary. I know I am rather overprotective, I suppose, but is my worry not justified? Airi is not from--"_

_At this point, Airi made sure to elbow him in the stomach, quietly panicking. "N-Not really a fighter!" She stuttered, "s-so I can understand why you're so worried, Dimitri, but I'll be okay if you're all teaching me, right?" She looked up at the prince imploringly. "Right?"_

_"Ah!" Dimitri covered his mouth, embarrassed at his almost slip-up. "R-Right. My apologies."_

_Felix narrowed his eyes at the both of them. "...Whatever," he said forcefully, "just stop babying her, unless you want to add her name to that list you've created in your head."_

_Dimitri visibly flinched as if slapped._

_"Felix!" Airi frowned disapprovingly. "Don't be rude. Dimitri is doing what he can. "_

_"What he's doing isn't enough," Felix snapped, taking a few steps toward their direction, "you think bandits will stop and wait for you to react? That they'll give you a chance to fight back? They'll sooner slit your throat before robbing you of all your belongings, and that's only if-" He stopped himself and jerkily looked away. "Never mind."_

_Airi, already feeling unsettled by his words, furrowed her brow. What was it that he was about to say?_

_"Felix," Dimitri said with a cold voice. His normally cordial expression had darkened. "Do not talk to her about that subject. It is distasteful and appalling."_

_Felix turned a furious gaze on him. "Again, coddling her," he hissed. "She has a right to know, doesn't she? Or did you think you could drag her off from the safety of Garreg Mach without bothering to warn her?"_

_"Felix."_

_"You've said it yourself. She can wave around a spear however much she wants, but it's clear she's never seen battle like us. Do you _want_ her to be vio--"_

_"Felix!" Dimitri yelled, lips pulled back into a snarl. "Enough!"_

_Felix closed his mouth, but matched the prince's snarl with a glare of his own._

_Holding her hands together, Airi glanced between them and gnawed worriedly on her lower lip. Why did they always have to argue..?_

_"Both of you need to cool your heads," Ingrid suddenly said from the entrance with a stern frown. "Felix, this is not the appropriate place for that talk, and Your Highness, Felix does have a point. Airi here is our friend, and we must do what we can to ensure she survives, but more importantly, that she perseveres."_

Ingrid had ended up being her only tutor that day, showing her how to use a sword as a woman, and more importantly, how to defend herself from stronger opponents.

_"Most of your opponents will be men," Ingrid told her with a solemn gaze. "I am sure that even in your home country, there are some despicable enough who will do what they want to a defenseless woman. It only takes one second, one weakness. You cannot let them win, no matter what."_

The reminder had not been pleasant, and that training session left her mentally exhausted along with her now constantly aching muscles.

Suddenly, the doors to the classroom opened, and in walked Hanneman. The usually well-kept and mild mannered man seemed unsettled, frowning deeply underneath his mustache. 

The class gathered around him with Dimitri at their forefront. "What news do you bring us, professor?" The prince asked, shoulders tense.

Hanneman glanced over at Ashe, who blinked at the sudden attention, and then sighed. "Lady Rhea has heard news about a rebellion in the west, in Faerghus territory. They oppose the Church of Seiros and have spoken with violent intent. Therefore, Lady Rhea has assigned us with the task of crushing this rebellion."

Airi gripped her hands together. A rebellion against the church? Were they to act as some sort of riot force then, or would they annihilate? Was she truly ready for this..?

Dimitri looked stricken at the news. "In Faerghus? Who could possibly rebel against the church like this? Are they citizens? Is it a lord?" He clenched his fists. "Why did uncle not say anything?"

Sylvain hummed. "Can't be one of ours, or we would've gotten wind of this sooner from our parents..." he mused.

"Actually..." Hanneman reluctantly turned to face Ashe, looking apologetic.

Ashe furrowed his brow. "Huh?"

"The leader of the rebellion and our end goal for our mission, is the lord of the Gaspard territory: Lonato Gildas Gaspard."

Ashe stumbled back and hit a desk, sending the wooden structure skidding loudly across the stone floor. His face was pale and his entire body trembled in disbelief.

"W...What?"

* * *

Horses pawed at the rough stones underneath their hooves, their ears flicking back and forth in anticipation. Metal clanked noisily as various knights and helpers loaded each mount with their armor, making sure they were fitted correctly to cover their weak spots. Servants brought bags of supplies-- jerky, dried fruits, and other such long lasting foods that they could eat on the road-- as well as several water skins. 

Sylvain and Dedue were the ones who were primarily loading the wagons. Mercedes was in charge of their medical supplies, and was double checking the number of bandages and tonics they were given from the clinic.

It was like a whole town of people mobilizing together to help them prepare for the journey.

Airi stood to the side, unable to help the bitterness she felt toward herself for not being able to do much to help. It wasn't like she knew what went where and why.

First world problems? More like fourth, fifth, whatever the hell this qualified as.

At least now if anyone complained about her being a useless youngster, it would be true.

"Airi?"

She looked up at Dimitri and tried her best to smile away the worry in his face. "Hi," she gave him a lackluster greeting.

"'Hi'?" He held his chin contemplatively. "Now how did a short sound like that become a greeting, I wonder? What was that other word you said the other day? Kid?"

She couldn't help but giggle, and Dimitri perked up at the sound. "I'm not sure, honestly," she confessed with a shrug, "English isn't my first language, and I'm not really fluent. I'm sure you've heard me speak weird this whole time."

"Your use of Seirosian is not _entirely_ correct," he conceded with a smile, "but I find it a rather endearing trait of yours."

Airi blinked. "'Endearing'? I'm like a deer?"

Dimitri struggled not to laugh. "Erm, not exactly. The word means that it is..." He paused and looked away shyly. "It means to be lovely. Being endearing means to create a feeling of, well...affection."

Lovely? Affection? Biting her lip, Airi ducked her head to hide the embarrassment that was sure to be on her face. "O-Oh..."

He shuffled next to her, holding a hand behind his neck. "I..." he started rather quietly, "I apologize if I have been too forward. I do not think I have shown much control in front of you, and for that, I deeply regret my actions."

"No no, it's okay..."

"Truly, if I have been making you uncomfortable in any way--"

"Denka," Airi interrupted him, "it's okay, really." She smiled reassuringly. "I'd tell you if you were really making me uncomfortable. It's just strange because we have different customs, but I sort of know now."

Dimitri tilted his head, intrigued. "That word again. Denka, is it? What does that mean? You have only ever referred to me with it."

At the question, Airi couldn't help but impishly smile. "It means 'my prince' in my language. The closest is 'your highness,' but most words don't have an exact translation."

"Ah!-" If she could trust her eyes, Dimitri was definitely pouting. "Airi, please. We have moved past such formalities, have we not?"

"Of course, but I like to think of it as a nickname," she said with a grin. "Everyone's names are pretty hard to pronounce for me. Di-mi-tu-ri. Denka is much easier, and it's pretty close to your name."

Dimitri didn't look satisfied with her explanation, however, and reached out to take her hands in his. It seemed to be a habit he had with her, one that she didn't want to think too deeply about. "If it pleases you, then you may continue to call me Denka. I never realized how difficult my name must be to pronounce, though now that I think about it, I do recall you having difficulty with Sylvain and Mercedes' names in particular."

He paused, and his eyes softened. Not with kindness, as Airi had come to associate with the look, but with a bone-deep sadness. "When I was a child, my parents used to refer to me as 'Dima.' Ingrid, Felix, and Sylvain had all done so as well, up until they realized I was next in line to take the crown."

He gave her a small yet hopeful smile, as shy as can be. "It...It would please me greatly if you would call me that instead."

Airi couldn't breathe.

Dimitri, her friend, but more importantly the royal prince of his country, wanted her to call him by a nickname that only his closest family and friends ever used.

This was breaking every social protocol that had ever been ingrained in her, and _she didn't know what to do_.

Just the fact that she was a commoner and he was a prince already called for a specific set of customs and suffixes, but now he's throwing any pretenses of distance away and asking her to use his most treasured name.

If she did start calling him that nickname, would that mean that he thought of her as someone in his inner circle?

Was she now someone _precious_ to him?

Why? What made her so special that he was willing to do this?

What did this mean?

She had been quiet for far too long apparently, because Dimitri's smile disappeared and he looked apprehensive. "...If that is too much, then I must apologize once again, Airi," he murmured, "I do not mean to pressure you. You may keep calling me Denka if you so wish. I do not mind."

His hands felt tense around hers, as if he was afraid of letting go.

Airi swallowed, ignored her fast heart, and opened her mouth. "...Denka," she whispered, and she winced when she saw his crestfallen look when realizing that she was not going to call him his preferred name. "I'm sorry. It's-- This is all so fast. I..." She looked down. "I'm sorry." 

She didn't know what to feel anymore.

She saw from her peripheral that he shook his head. "No, I am the one who should be sorry. I _am_ moving too fast." His hands slowly slipped away, and he bowed. "My apologies once again."

She silently bowed back, afraid to say something, anything.

Straightening up, Dimitri held a more reserved look on his face. "However, do not mistake this as me pulling away. I _will_ protect you, I swear it." With another bow, he left to help with the wagons.

Airi noticed he didn't say what exactly about her he was protecting. Physically? Mentally?...Emotionally?

"_What do I do..?_" She whispered to herself.

She wasn't stupid enough to deny her attraction to him-- she was attracted to several of her male friends here--, but anything deeper than that was unthinkable right now. Or rather, she didn't want to think of it at all.

Looking was one thing; feeling was another.

"Airi!" Ingrid called out to her from on top of her horse. "We will head out soon! Get onto your mount!"

Airi froze and looked up. True to Ingrid's words, it seemed that everything was finally packed up and ready to go. The two wagons they were bringing with them were full of camping gear and weapons, as well as food and water. It wasn't just the class that was departing, either. Most of the Blue Lions had a group of soldiers or mages with them as backup, or battalions as they were called. 

Since she had no experience leading a battalion, she wasn't assigned one-- which she was grateful for; what was she going to do with ten other people to lead?-- but it also meant she was left by herself, and they had to ride out to their mission.

On a horse.

She's never been on one before, either.

"Hurry up, or our mission won't succeed for Lady Rhea!" Their assigned knight, Catherine, yelled out to her. She was a blonde woman with a deeper than average skin tone, and her armor was almost pure white, as if she was showing off to her enemies. She had been assigned to their mission by Lady Rhea for some reason that Airi hadn't been privy to, but the fact that there was this unknown woman in their midst was already setting off alarm bells in her head.

"Here, I'll help you." 

Perking up at the quiet voice, Airi turned to see Ashe. "Ashe-kun..." she murmured worriedly. 

When they had gotten the news, Ashe had been stunned into silence, so lost in his tumultuous thoughts that none of the class could talk to him. He didn't look much better, either, for he sported dark circles under his dim green eyes, and his face lacked his usual cheeriness that could rival Annette's. 

He was still dressed for battle, however. All of them were.

Ashe tried to smile at her. "...I'm all right, Airi." Even he didn't look convinced by his words. "I know this is what we've been assigned, but I still refuse to believe it until...until I can talk to Lonato myself."

Airi slowly nodded. "I'm sure you can get through to him. He's like your father, right? He took you and your siblings in without question. There must be a good reason for why he would do this." She smiled softly. "Talk to him, try to understand and make peace."

Ashe looked away. "I have an idea of why, but..." He shook his head. "I'll think on this. Thank you, Airi. Here, let me help you onto your horse."

Luckily, she had been given a pair of durable leather pants, and the horse-- the same one that had licked her cheek in the stables-- was clearly used to carrying people around, so it wasn't too embarrassing when she finally got up onto the saddle. 

She looked at her friends. Dressed in armor, leather, and durable cloths. Spears, swords, and axes strapped to their persons, with their battalions on their own mounts behind them. 

She looked down at herself; at the brown leather jacket that was thick enough to protect her from blades, at her dark leather pants that gave her the flexibility she needed in combat, at her knee-high boots that were resistant to mud and gave her solid grip.

They were an army ready for war.

"Blue Lions!" Dimitri shouted from the helm. He looked particularly princely, dressed in white armor on top of his white steed. "We will depart from Garreg Mach and head west into Faerghus! Rests will be taken every hour to accommodate the horses, but we will travel until nightfall when we make camp. Stay together, and if we encounter opposition on the way, we will fight, and we will win!"

"FOR THE BLUE LIONS!" Everyone shouted in unison.

The gates in front of them slowly opened, showing the road out of the monastery.

Airi stared at what would be her first real glimpse of Fodlan, and wondered if she would still find it beautiful when blood would begin to spill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm gonna say the official language in Fodlan is Seirosian, because she totally would have named the language after herself


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if you got a repeat update notification for this fic! Had to reupload due to a weird glitch.

Airi was miserable.

Riding wasn't too difficult after the first half-hour since her horse was clearly very well-trained, but it was hell on her rear and thighs. Every step the horse made jostled painfully against her legs, to the point where she could swear her _bones_ were aching.

Her lower back wasn't doing much better, either. Couple all of that with the early afternoon sun scorching her from its position high in the sky, the ear-piercing clangs of armor and weapons all around her which was becoming a burgeoning migraine, and the smell, oh, _the smell_. Sweaty human odor, sweaty _horse_ odor, and warm dirt.

This was going to be the norm for the next week at the pace they were going, according to the soldiers gossiping behind her.

At this point, she would trade anything for public transportation. At least trains and buses were air conditioned. 

Thinking of air conditioning made her wonder about the summers here in Fodlan. Were they humid? Dry? Full of monsoons? Part of her wanted to find out because she absolutely hated summertime, but logic kicked in and said to not even think about it, because that would mean she was considering the idea of staying here longer instead of going back to Tokyo.

Not wanting to be entrapped in her thoughts any longer, Airi looked around their scenery-- the little she could see beyond the masses of soldiers that surrounded her at all sides.

Once they had left the monastery, their entourage had to go through a village at the bottom of the mountain where they stopped for an hour to retrieve more supplies. Then, they had turned to the west and continued on, where the stone roads eventually turned into dirt, paved by years of trade and travel, and now they were here. Wherever here was.

Bringing up a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, Airi squinted at the distance. It seemed this part of Fodlan consisted of grass plains and the occasional farming field. There was a forest to their right, and while the trees were tall with thick spindly leaves, they were spread apart. 

"Hm?" Ashe glanced at her. "Is something the matter, Airi?"

Yes, she thought. My ass ached and everything smelled like shit. "No, it's nothing," she said instead, "I'm curious about the land here. I've never been this way, I think."

He perked up. "Oh, well I can tell you some things I know! His Highness and Ingrid surely know more, but they're currently farther up ahead and won't be able to move back in our formation."

Considering the fact that everyone up at the front were the strongest in the class, it wouldn't be wise for them to move back anyway. Dimitri, Sylvain, and Felix spearheaded the platoon along with that rather abrasive woman, Catherine. Dedue, Annette, Hanneman, and Ingrid were right behind them. A small contingent of their battalions followed after, then it was Mercedes, Ashe, and her, and then the rest of the battalions surrounding them from the rear. All in all, they were well positioned for anything.

Airi noticed she was placed in what was probably the most defensible position in the group, and didn't know how to feel about it. Was she that much of a burden? Or had Dimitri and the others arranged for this so she could stay the safest out of everyone? 

"We're almost on the border of Gaspard territory actually," Ashe began, "this is one of the Empire's territory right now, Arundel. You may have heard of Lord Volkhard von Arundel who is currently regent of the Empire."

"Regent?" Airi asked, curious. "I don't know that word."

"Oh." Ashe cleared his throat. "It means someone who is holding the throne for the real ruler. Like a temporary emperor."

"Ooh. For Edelgard-san, right?" Airi looked down at her horse's mane. "So she'll become emperor after she finishes her courses here?"

"And His Highness becomes King of Faerghus," Mercedes chimed in a few meters ahead of them. She turned in her saddle and gave them a smile. "Are you teaching Airi our history, Ashe?"

Ashe chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I'm trying. I'm sure you know more than me, Mercedes."

Mercedes hummed, the noise barely audible due to the cacophony of the other soldiers around them. Tugging at her reins, she guided her steed to slow down enough to fall in step with them. "Well, while Lord Arundel is currently regent, the emperor-- Lady Edelgard's father-- is still alive; I have not heard much news about his ruling these past few years, however. He is quite an aged man, well beyond his prime." She bowed her head. "May the Goddess continue to bless his health."

"Oh," Airi whispered. Was Edelgard-san was waiting for him to die first?

"The Adrestian Empire is the oldest seat of power in Fodlan," Mercedes continued, "it was founded just after the Church of Seiros, actually. As legend tells it, Lady Seiros had defeated the bandit king, Nemesis, in the name of the Goddess herself. She then went on to establish the Adrestian Empire, which had spanned the entire continent then."

"Really?" Airi said, surprised. "So Faerghus and Leicester used to be part of the Empire?"

"Oo!" Ashe perked up on his horse. "I know this part!"

Mercedes laughed daintily. "Oh yes, you have always been an admirer of Loog, have you not? Well-" she inclined her head, "-please do us the honor."

"My pleasure!" Ashe grinned and turned to Airi with the most emotion she had seen on him in days. "Loog Blaiddyd is a descendant of Blaiddyd, like His Highness, and was the first king of Faerghus! When the Adrestian Empire was in charge of everything, Loog was one of many who were unhappy with how the empire treated its territories, and raised an army to demand independence. They fought long and arduously against the much larger force in what is now known as the 'War of the Eagle and Lion.' The church recognized Faerghus as its own country after they won a decisive battle, and crowned Loog as its first king. The people called him the 'king of lions,' which is where our house moniker comes from!" he finished with a big gusto.

"Wow..." Airi was entranced, partly due to hearing about Dimitr's rich history, and partly because Ashe was showing such exuberance again. "How long ago?"

"The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus was founded in 751 Imperial," Ashe replied, "so it's been about 400 years."

"429 years to be exact," Mercedes gently corrected.

That's...not as ancient as Airi had expected. If it'd been 429 years since 751, then the current year was 1180. So it'd only been a little over a thousand years since this world's more violent version of Jesus Christ appeared and consequently influenced this continent into worshiping the Goddess. It wasn't so surprising to think of this world as medieval when it wasn't 2017.

Perhaps she could ask Byleth-sensei and Sothis-sama about this when she would get back to Garreg Mach.

A horse's loud whinny from the front caught their attention, and the three students snapped their heads up to a spear being raised, and someone letting out a fierce battle cry. 

The horse underneath her suddenly tensed, standing at attention, and Airi yelped, holding onto its reins for dear life. The soldiers around them all urged their horses closer, creating a barrier against whoever it was that was attacking them.

"Who- Who is attacking?!" Airi asked in a cracked whisper. Her right hand hovered over the spear attached to her back, but anyone who was paying any attention to her would notice it was trembling like a rattle.

Unlike her, Ashe already had his bow in his left hand and an arrow loosely nocked against the string. "Bandits, most likely," he answered with a frown.

"Ah..." Mercedes clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "I pray that things will end swiftly."

Airi glanced between them at an alarming rate. Ashe had his bow out, so he was ready in case he needed to go into combat, and while Mercedes was praying, her hands were glowing with a spell, ready to be cast at any second. Despite their more serious tones, they were strangely nonchalant about this. As if it happened so often that it was just a minor annoyance.

Was this what she had to look forward to the longer she stayed?

"Aaagh!" A man's pained cry could be heard, followed by the disgusting squelch of something wet and fleshy. It reminded her of going to a butcher shop and witnessing them take apart a fresh pork leg.

Airi ducked her head and covered her ears, hoping to drown out any more of the battle. She wasn't even close to the front of the company where the battle was currently taking place, and there wasn't even a glimpse that she could see through the throng of soldiers in front of her, but she felt like she was too close to where she _could_ see and hear and smell. She didn't want to hear this. She didn't want any of this.

She clenched her eyes. Just be a nightmare. Please. Please. _Please_.

Something landed on her shoulder and she violently flinched away, almost tipping over her horse. She looked up to see Mercedes' small but understanding smile. The older woman held out a hand to her, and Airi couldn't help but latch on with both hands to the small comfort offered to her.

In the back of her mind, drowned out by fear and oncoming trauma, she noted that even Mercedes-san had weapon callouses on her hand.

"It will be over soon," the mage murmured comfortingly, "I trust His Highness to keep us safe."

Airi almost didn't comprehend what she said; her mind was too frazzled to translate. Dimitri would keep them safe? Yes. He had said that, didn't he. That he would do anything to keep her safe. She could trust him. Trust him to keep his word. Trust in his strength to see this through, alive and whole and intact, with everyone else.

So busy with her inner turmoil that she missed everyone's strange looks directed at her.

Ashe, however, did not. He pursed his lips and moved his horse to be closer.

Without her hands to cover her ears, Airi was once again subjected to the sound of shouting and blades cutting into flesh, of fresh blood splattering on dirt and grass. Clenching her eyes shut, she began to recite random facts and numbers in her head. Anything to distract herself from the slaughter that was but 30 meters ahead of her.

She was so focused on not focusing that when silence reigned over the group, she didn't comprehend it until Mercedes tugged her onward. "Huh..?" Airi glanced around as skittish as a deer, eyes wide and fearful.

"It is all right," Mercedes soothed, "the battle is over. We can continue our journey now, unbothered."

It...It was over? Just like that? It felt like an eternity. The sun hadn't budged an inch, though, and neither had the few clouds that dotted the sky. Reality had passed by her in minutes.

A swordsman in front of them began to move his horse forward, and another, and another, and the whole company was now moving, showing that they were continuing their route to Gaspard.

Airi didn't have to prompt her horse; it knew to follow its brethren. She couldn't lift her eyes from the ground as they continued on, past the point where the impromptu battle was held. The horses were unbothered with trampling over the marred ground.

A dot of bright red blood contrasted greatly against the grey-brown of upturned dirt, and her eyes unwillingly locked onto it. It was slowly being absorbed into the ground; an unorthodox nutrient to satisfy the thirst of parched earth. She followed the droplets, until they became puddles, seeping out of--

She sucked in a breath.

There, on top of the slowly growing pool, was a man. He was lying face first, and would be drowning if he was still able to breathe. His arms and legs were splayed out in an unnatural position, and the back of his rough wool tunic had a large puncture through it, staining the edges from a faded green to a rust brown. In his relaxed hand was what looked to be an iron axe. The rust all over it suggested that the man had never really took care of it, but the edge was sharp, sharp enough that he had used it often. He would never use it again.

Oh.

She was looking at a dead body.

One that had been alive just five minutes ago. He had had thoughts, feelings, and a past. He probably had family somewhere as an estranged son who couldn't abide by living on a farm or in some poor village. Judging by his clothes, he stayed poor, but he had been doing what he wanted. He most likely hadn't been a good man.

But, he had been a man.

"Come on," Ashe quietly ushered her alongside his ride, forcing her to move past what was now a growing pile of dead bodies. Some of the battalion soldiers stayed behind, and were already hard at work at building a pyre. 

They all looked bored.

Airi slowly turned her head, away from the carnage, and met amber eyes. Being several meters ahead, Felix could not say anything, but the look of pity on his face was deafening.

She looked away, and saw her hands tremble.

* * *

The camp was full of jovial laughter, conversation, and the occasional crackling from the campfires.

Set away from the road, the tall trees offered them some defense and comfort, and helped keep the light from the fires under its spindly leaves. There was a small lake nearby, with buckets placed next to it for drinking and bathing water. A ditch was dug further away as a latrine, and on the opposite side was where all the horses were tethered, gently grazing on the lush grass now that they no longer had any burdens to haul. Some soldiers stood at the edges of camp to act as first watch for the night, and there had already been a schedule worked out between them. A row of tents were tethered to nearby tree trunks, and the class's tents were marked with Blue Lion insignia on their much better quality tarps.

The students had their own fire to sit around, while the rest of the battalions huddled together at their own fires. 

Airi was with neither of them.

Instead, she was sat next to the lake, knees drawn up to her chest as a rest for her arms. Her hair had been taken out of its bun to fall against her back in a mess of lazy and tangled curls.

Despite how her legs were screaming at her for riding on a horse for hours, it didn't quite register in her head.

Everywhere she looked, she kept spotting droplets of red. In front of her, below her, at the edge of her periphery. If she opened her mouth, she could taste the coppery scent in the air, despite the logical part of her mind knowing that there was no trace of blood anywhere near her. 

Taking a deep breath through her nose, she buried her head between her knees. Rather like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand, not wanting to face reality.

Maybe if she closed her eyes for long enough, she could fool herself into thinking she was back in her house.

The sounds of the camp could be Yusuke cooking downstairs, or preparing a new painting in the study in the next room. The boisterous laughter from the soldiers could be from the izakaya a few buildings away, full of drunk businessmen after a long day of work. The gentle waves of the lake in front of her could be her leaving the sink flowing.

Home.

She bit her lip. Reaching inside her leather jacket and into her bra, she took out her phone and turned on the power. 

After the first few hours in this world and realizing she would never be able to find signal, she had turned it off to conserve its battery, and only turned it on rarely for a few minutes. There was no way to charge it, and one day soon, the battery would finally lose all juice and die, and she would lose the one resource she still had that kept her connected to Earth. 

The screen lit up, illuminating her face, and her lock screen stared back at her. It was a group photo of her and her friends inside Leblanc.

Her thumb traced their smiles; memorizing their eyes, their noses, the curves of their faces, the colors of their hairs.

She knew she couldn't rely on her memory.

When her phone would finally die, she wouldn't be able to see them so clearly anymore. Her memory wouldn't serve them justice, either. 

All she would be able to see in her mind would be the dead bodies, piling on top of one another and dripping blood.

Just the thought of it sent a shiver down her spine, and the feeling of her throat closing choked her for a moment. The burning feeling within her stomach intensified as bile threatened to push up, and as one of the campfires began to cook up dinner, the smell of sizzling meat that wafted her way almost made her heave. 

"..._Fuck_," Airi gasped out in a strangled whimper and held her phone closer to her chest.

She was sitting not even out of eyesight of a bunch of murderers. _Every single person_ behind her right now was a fucking killer.

She knew, oh she had _known_ since her first day here in Fodlan when Seiros knights had outright murdered those bandits that this world didn't regard murder as a crime. Life here wasn't held to the same standards as on Earth did, but still, like the ignorant naive fool that she was, she hadn't expected this...this level of_ indifference_.

That first battle today hadn't been the only one. There had been another group of bandits an hour or so after.

And another.

And another.

With each confrontation, the gangs had gotten bigger, which meant that by the last battle of the day, even Ashe and Mercedes-- who had been in the same position in the formation as her-- had participated in the fight. The battalions had supported each student who fought, but the ones near her had boxed her in along with the supplies and basically forced her to stay inactive. 

That had left her to watch on with wide open eyes as her classmates went to fight-- and fight they had.

It was one thing to see Ingrid slice a man's throat with her sword, but it was another thing to see a man be immolated by Annette. To see his skin blacken and flake off, until all that was left was a charred husk that crumbled away.

The screams that had emanated from the bandits would haunt her forever. Even that had been different; they had been pained, yes, but not terror-filled. Those bandits also hadn't thought of death as horrifying.

She had come so close to needing to take action in that last battle, but she hadn't.

And then, a bandit had somehow gotten closer to her position on the road and away from where the majority were fighting. He had demanded their supplies and gold, threatening them with an iron spear in hand. The soldiers around her had been prepared to retaliate, while she had sat there, frozen on her saddle, without having even held her spear ready. 

But he had died before he had spoken another word; a javelin had been thrown at him with such velocity and power that it had completely pierced through the back of his head and through the front of his face, with bloody grey matter dripping from its length.

The sight, the smell, the _sound-- _If she had been able to move, she would've fallen off her horse and thrown up pure stomach bile. 

Instead, she had slowly looked to who had thrown the javelin, and saw Dimitri's outstretched arm from atop of his horse; his face had held a most dark and thunderous expression. No hints of regret.

When he saw that she was looking, his face had softened into outright concern, but she had already turned away and kept her head down, missing the hurt that had followed. Her hands had trembled to cover her ears, but that had been the third battle already and she had been so tired and done with the casual loss of life.

She wasn't made for this world; didn't have the loose morality it required to stay sane. How was she going to last for the rest of this mission?--

Grass crunched as boot covered steps slowly approached her, stopping once they reached her spot. "Airi?" Dedue's deep baritone called out to her, "supper has been served."

Airi shook her head as one hand slipped her phone back inside her jacket. "Thank you, but I'm not hungry," she mumbled.

"You have not eaten all day," he calmly reminded.

"It's okay; I'm used to it."

"You should not skip meals; that is not good for your health. As a cook, you should understand this."

She forced out a sigh. "I can't. Please, Dedue-san. I'm sorry, but I can't eat right now. The smell is..." Another wave of sizzling meat wafted her way, and she quickly covered her mouth, lest she threw up.

Leathers and fur rustled as he took a seat next to her. Even sitting down, he was still more than twice her size, dwarfing her much smaller and petite form. His expression was calm, but there was understanding as well. "You are not well," he stated. "From the sight of battle?"

Airi nodded silently.

"Was today your first taste of battle?"

One moment of hesitation. Nod.

"Was today your first time seeing death?"

Another moment. She shook her head.

"I see." Dedue became silent. "You are unaccustomed to battle, and so you must also be inexperienced in taking life as well. That is what your dilemma is, correct? Seeing us-- your classmates-- kill?"

Clenching her eyes shut, she forced herself to nod.

"...Tell me of your home. If that is agreeable to you."

She paused and glanced over at him. There was no hint of a joke on his face; only that of calm patience. No judgment.

"...It's very loud in some parts," she began softly, "and full of people. The buildings reach high into the sky, but there are other countries where theirs are even higher. The people are hardworking; a little too hard, I think. Not many people are happy." She hadn't been. "I go to school six days, and work four days _part time_. My friends would always hang out with me, and we...we tried to make our city a better place. I'm not poor, but not rich at all, just enough to keep my house."

Dedue digested this information. "...I see," he answered after a minute, "your home sounds strange. I cannot relate much."

Airi had to crack a smile at that. "Yeah, it's very, very different from here." She huddled into her knees. "...Not everyone is good, but there's very little crime. The law is strict. Any crime can send you to jail. The police don't use violence often, and people don't fight except maybe if they're drunk, or if they're yakuza, or for competitions. We just...don't fight like this. Not to kill."

She looked downcast. "I know. I know I can't keep being useless like today, but..."

Dedue was silent.

Another boisterous laughter from the camps penetrated the quiet of their conversation and Airi glanced behind her with pursed lips. 

"...Duscur is a more wild land," Dedue began, attracting her attention, "and as I mentioned before, full of sand. Near the coasts, many different flowers bloomed year-round. There were not many towns, but each one specialized in something. My own was blacksmithing; I would help my father temper iron and steel in his forge. We had many gods as well; a god for the sky, the oceans, and lands. We did not worship them like the people here do for the Goddess, but we asked for their protection and blessings when we needed it."

"That sounds really nice," Airi murmured with a soft smile. "My home too. We had a lot of different religions, but not many people believed very strongly, just enough to go to the temples during new year for wishes."

"We have similar beliefs then," he remarked with a respectful nod. He paused. "...My maiden battle was at the age of 10. It was during a trip to another town when we were attacked. I took one of the axes my father had crafted-- one that I had helped craft-- and killed the one who threatened my sister's life. I was not very experienced, but even at that moment, I did not regret it."

Airi stilled. Then, she let out a sigh of resignation. "...Because you were protecting your sister, right?"

He nodded. "I understand that seeing our experience in battle is intimidating, but we do not take life as easily as it seems. We all understand that we have something to protect, and for that, we gladly stain our hands in blood."

"And you were all protecting me today," she muttered rather bitterly.

To her surprise, he shook his head. "Not just you. We protected our supplies. We protected the soldiers under our command. We protected each other. If we do not fight, we do not live. Everyone here knows this. Even you."

"Knowing and doing are different!" she raised her voice. "I know I have to fight! I know I have to- to kill at some point!" Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "I know that! But those people-- those bandits today? They were people like us. They had dreams, and feelings. Family, friends, history. All that. And now they're gone." She shoulders fell limp. "No one will know they existed. No one will mourn them. They're just...erased, forever. I can't..." She gripped her hair tightly in her hands, taking out a few strands. "I can't do it," she whispered, "I can't just do that."

Dedue gazed at her with an unreadable expression. "...You can. You will. His Highness and the rest of us may do our best to protect you, but you will not let yourself be idle among us."

She closed her eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "...I know," she mouthed.

"It will get easier, though you will bear the burden forever." He softened. "You will not bear it alone, though. If he could, His Highness would take on all your burdens for himself."

"...Why?" Her voice cracked. "Why would he go so far...for a nobody? I'm nothing here. He's going to be king soon, right? He should find a good woman to marry and worry about his own people. I'm just a lost girl. I'm useless."

"Because he understands your struggles," came his reply. "His Highness has always been too kind. He knows true suffering, and does not wish it on anyone else. He would bathe in blood if only so your hands would stay clean."

"But, doesn't that mean he suffers more?" she asked, stricken. "He told me he doesn't like killing, either."

"Yes."

Airi turned back to the lake, her eyes tracing the small waves that ebbed back and forth.

How could she ever live with herself if she placed her own burdens on someone else, especially someone as kind and drained like Dimitri? It would be so selfish of her to place extra responsibility on him when he was already doing so much; not just for herself, but for everyone. He couldn't keep looking out for her-- not when he was about to be king and she was some weird offworlder-- and she couldn't just sit around and do nothing when bandits attacked, or when they would finally confront Lord Lonato. 

Whether she was ready or not (never, she would never be ready), she would have to do it, and soon.

"Shoganai," she muttered and closed her eyes, resigned. 

"Hm?" Dedue looked at her, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Nothing, sorry." Standing up from the ground, she stumbled as pain shot up her legs and hips, and it was only due to Dedue's reflexes and firm grip that her head didn't meet a tree trunk. "Ah, th-thank you..."

"First horse ride as well?" There was a hint of mirth in his voice.

Unable to help it, she pouted and nodded, embarrassed.

"You will wish to stretch before retiring for the night."

"R-Right..."

When she turned around, she wasn't expecting to be greeted with an apprehensive yet hopeful look in the form of Dimitri, who was waiting at the edge of the ring of tents.

She smiled back, tentatively, and she could see the tension melt away from his shoulders. 

Dedue gently supported her as they walked closer to the prince, and when they were finally in front of him, he bowed and took his leave for the campfire to join the rest of the class.

Gazing down at her with a rather shy smile, Dimitri held out his hands to her, but did not reach for them himself.

Curious, Airi looked at them and noticed he had taken off his gauntlets, leaving them bare for her to see. The first thing she noticed was that they were very pale, even compared to his face, meaning he rarely if ever took his gloves off in sunlight. There were nicks and little scars covering his fingers and parts of his palms, all of them silver or pale pink. They were also shaking-- barely, but enough that she noticed and couldn't help but worry.

Taking his hands in hers, she gently soothed them with soft strokes. "Are you okay, Dimitri?" she asked quietly. "Are you tired?"

He had been startled by the touch, as if he had somehow not expected it despite offering it in the first place, but he slowly relaxed, and his fingers lightly curled against hers. "I am well," he replied tenderly, "thank you for asking. And..." He hesitated. "Are you? Well?"

Airi paused for a moment, thought about it, and ended up shrugging. "I guess." She forced a small smile on her face. "I...I want to thank you for today. I know you said you'd protect me, but you..." Grey brain matter dripping down the tip of the javelin flashed in her mind and she tightened her jaw. "You really did protect me. I didn't do anything useful today. So, um, thank you."

Dimitri was strangely still for the latter half of her speech, and he slowly slipped his hands out of hers. "...You should say what you really mean," he said quietly, smile gone and his eyes distant. "You think differently of me now that you have seen me in battle. I understand of course; I would not be comfortable near me, either."

"No, that's not it!" She was quick to reply, but paused.

At the sight of her hesitation, the prince's downtrodden expression became even more melancholy.

"I...Yes, I'm not exactly happy about what happened today, but that's not your fault. I just..." She grasped her arms and looked away. "I told you that I've never killed before, right? I have seen deaths, but they were quick, and I was too young to understand. Not like...not like today. It's hard to adjust and be okay with this, you know?"

"...Yes, I do know," he whispered softly, "I was the same when I was younger. Even now, though I have become efficient at it, I do not enjoy taking lives. I wish...Well, it is foolish of me to wish this, but I long to talk to my enemies. To be able to discuss our problems rather than resorting to violence. If only this world would be so peaceful..." he mused. Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh. "There is nothing I abhor more than senseless death, and I know you feel the same."

He opened his eyes, showing a more determined, desperate expression. "I know you witnessed me kill several people today, but I..." His hands tightened around hers. "I hope you can still think of me as the same Dimitri you have become acquainted to in the last month. I only wish to protect you and everyone here. Please." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Believe me."

Biting her lip, Airi threw her arms out and wrapped them around his waist. He gasped, surprised, and hesitantly placed his hands on her back.

"I know," she breathed out, voice thick with emotion. She had never known a more selfless man, and it pained her to know he would continue to suffer even more than she would. He was too kind for this world. "Thank you, Dimitri."

She felt his fingers twitch against her back, and then his hands slid down to her waist where he hugged her just as tightly.

"No," he whispered against her hair, "thank _you_, Airi. For taking my hand."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoganai - A japanese saying that basically means "it can't be helped." Basically, you say it to understand you must accept the current reality of the situation because you can't do anything about it.
> 
> Stay safe everyone. Please look out for each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts so far? Honestly this could stand as just a FE3H fic, but since my OC is originally for P5 and uses P5 mechanics, I may as well include it. I will, however, try to refrain from using too much P5 mechanics so that this can stand more as a FE3H fic!
> 
> Comments are loved and appreciated!


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